Adding the immune‑boosting peptide thymosin‑alpha‑1 after liver cancer surgery, together with a standard chemo‑embolization treatment, didn’t cut the chance of the cancer coming back, but it seemed to push the relapse back by a few months and helped patients live a bit longer.

To observe recurrence prevention on hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatectomy by using TACE (transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization) with thymosin alpha1 postoperatively. From January 2000 to December 2002, 57 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were randomly divided into three groups: Group A (n=18) received hepatectomy plus TACE and thymosin alpha1 postoperatively, group B (n=23) received hepatectomy plus TACE postoperatively and group C (n=16) received hepatectomy only. The recurrent rate, recurrent time and median survival period for the three groups were observed and measured. For group A, B and C, one-year recurrent rates were 83.3%, 87.0% and 87.5% (p=0.926), respectively. The recurrent time were 7.0, 5.0 and 4.0 months (p=0.039), respectively, and the median survival were 10.0, 7.0 and 8.0 months (p=0.002), respectively. Comprehensive therapy combining TACE plus Talpha1 postoperatively could not decrease the recurrent rate, but it might delay the recurrent time and prolong survival periods for hepatocellular carcinoma patients after hepatectomy.