Genistein Reinforces Inhibitory Effects of Cisplatin on Liver Cancer Recurrence and Metastasis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common malignant tumor worldwide which has an increasing incidence in the East Asia (Parkin et al., 1999; Bosch et al., 2004). Potentially curative interventions such as tumor resection, liver transplantation and thermal ablation are applicable for the 30% whose tumors or liver function meet defined criteria (Llovet et al., 2003). Even among those treated with curative intent, relapse rates are up to 50% (Yamamoto et al., 1996; Tang et al., 1998). Hepatic resection is the standard treatment for HCC, however, the survival rate is still low due to the high incidence of recurrence (Ye et al., 1995; Tang, 2000). Over the past decades, not a single method has been proved to be sufficiently effective to prevent recurrence and metastasis of HCC, which exhibits low sensitivity to most anticancer drugs. Therefore, drugs which are effective and hypotoxic, or are able to decrease chemotherapeutic doses and increase curative effect when administrated combined with chemotherapy drugs are desperately needed.