Effect of Viscum Album Extract on Angiogenesis Mediators and Cytokines in Egyptian Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

T his is an open-label, prospective, post-marketing study of the long-term safety and efficacy of viscum album and compared with TACE in advanced HCC. All patients gave a written informed consent before enrollment. Before recruitment, the study was approved by the ethical review board of the faculty of Medicine Ain Shams University. The study was conducted in outpatient clinic of Ain Shams University HCC unit. Prior to entry into the study, all patients provided a complete history and physical examination, including performance status, concurrent nonmalignant diseases and therapy. Laboratory studies included a complete blood cell counts, differential count, biochemical liver and renal function tests, electrolyte, chest x-rays, α-fetoprotein, triphasic liver computed scan (CT) and Child class evaluation were performed before treatment. To elucidate the mechanism VEGF, TGF-β and TNF-α were measured. Patients were diagnosed according to European Association for the Study of the Liver et al. in (2018) (Galle et al., 2018), and classified according to BCLC staging system. 1. The eligibility criteria included: (1) Patients with BCLC stage B; (2) unresectable tumor (3) bi-dimensional measurable disease; (4) no previous systemic chemotherapy; (5) age between 16 years and 75 years; (6) performance status 0 – 3 WHO; 7) Normal renal function; 8) Normal cardiac and hematological profile.