Low risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis with cirrhosis

Screening for malignancy in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC)

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a frequently progressive and fatal disease. Death from cancer occurs in a significant subset of patients with PSC. Patients with PSC have a 10 to 15 % lifetime risk of developing cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). About one third of CCAs are present in the first year after a diagnosis of PSC; the remainder are present with a frequency of about 1.5 % each year. Patients with concomitant PSC and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a 4-fold higher risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) than patients with IBD alone and a 10-fold higher risk of CRC than the general population. The risk does not diminish with liver transplantation. This patient population also has a high frequency of carcinoma in gallbladder mass lesions. The risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the presence of cirrhosis is uncertain-two large cohort studies suggest that HCC is not as common as in other causes of cirrhosis. Although AASLD guidelines do not recommend routine screening for liver tumors in patients with PSC, we recommend MRI/MRCP and serum CA 19-9 levels in patients with PSC every 6 months to screen for CCA, HCC, pancreatic cancer, and gallbladder cancer. Screening colonoscopy at the diagnosis of PSC and surveillance colonoscopies every 1-2 years should be performed in those with PSC and IBD.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma From Epidemiology to Prevention: Translating Knowledge into Practice

The epidemiology of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is characterized by dynamic temporal trends, several major established (i.e., HCV, HBV, alcohol) and emerging (i.e., diabetes, obesity, NAFLD) risk factors. Epidemiologic studies and clinical trials have identified additional demographic, clinical, pharmacological, genetic and life style factors that further affect or modify the likelihood of HCC and can be used in clinical practice to identify at-risk patients (i.e., risk stratification or prognostic algorithms) that can be targeted for prevention and early detection programs. These studies have also paved the way toward several well established preventive measures including HBV vaccination, HBV treatment, HCV treatment and HCC surveillance, and potential chemoprevention using statins, metformin or coffee. However, the effectiveness of HCC prevention in clinical practice and at the population level has lagged behind due to patient, provider, system, and societal factors. The Quality in the Continuum of Cancer Care model provides a framework for evaluating the HCC prevention processes, including potential failures that create a gap between efficacy and effectiveness.

How Should Cancer Surveillance in Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Be Performed?

Background

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the intra- and extrahepatic bile duct system that can ultimately cause liver cirrhosis. Apart from the risk of progression to end-stage liver disease the prognosis of PSC is primarily determined by the risk to develop hepatobiliary or extrahepatic malignancies. A reasonable surveillance strategy for PSC patients must allow the detection of early cancer that will permit a potentially curative therapy.

Methods

Current guidelines on malignancy within the context of PSC as well as the primary literature were reviewed for this article.

Results

Here, we focus on a concise review of the three tumors most commonly associated with PSC: cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCA), gallbladder cancer, and colorectal carcinoma. For cancer surveillance in this patient group, endoscopy, cholangiography, cross-sectional imaging, and the use of serum tumor markers are principally available. Furthermore, for the diagnosis of CCA novel approaches were recently suggested to improve sensitivity and specificity to detect this malignancy.

Conclusion

We review different aspects of cancer surveillance in patients with PSC. Since prospective data on the surveillance of malignant tumors is unavailable, we discuss a rational approach on how to perform cancer surveillance in patients with PSC.

The evolving epidemiology of hepatocellular carcinoma: a global perspective

Primary liver cancer, the majority of which are hepatocellular carcinomas, is now the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Hepatocellular carcinoma is a unique cancer that typically arises in the setting of chronic liver disease at a rate dependent upon the complex interplay between the host, disease and environmental factors. Infection with chronic hepatitis B or C virus is currently the dominant risk factor worldwide. However, changing lifestyle and environmental factors in western countries plus rising neonatal hepatitis B vaccination rates and decreasing exposure to dietary aflatoxins in developing countries are driving an evolution of the epidemiology of this cancer. An understanding of this change is crucial in combating the rising incidence currently being seen in western regions and will underpin the efforts to reduce the mortality rates associated with this cancer.

ACG Clinical Guideline: Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a chronic cholestatic liver disease that can shorten life and may require liver transplantation. The cause is unknown, although it is commonly associated with colitis. There is no approved or proven therapy, although ursodeoxycholic acid is used by many on an empiric basis. Complications including portal hypertension, fat-soluble vitamin deficiency, metabolic bone diseases, and development of cancers of the bile duct or colon can occur.

Hepatocellular carcinoma: low risk of HCC in patients who have PSC and cirrhosis

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is understood to be associated with an increased risk of malignancy in the bile ducts, gallbladder and colon. The risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in the setting of PSC, however, is not well defined. Zenouzi et al. provide an analysis of their experience in a recent article.