Survival benefit of hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma beyond the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer classification

Conditional survival after liver resection for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma

Conditional survival (CS) is a measure of prognosis of patients who have already survived several years since diagnosis. However, few studies have investigated the CS of patients who underwent liver resection (LR) for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We enrolled 942 consecutive patients who underwent LR for HCC with pathology-defined American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 7th edition stage 1 or 2 disease. The three-year CS was calculated as CS = S(x + 3)/S(x) and represented the probability of surviving an additional three years, given that the patient had already survived x years. The one-, three-, and five-year survival rates were 97.1%, 86.7%, and 76.1%, respectively, and were lower in cases with AJCC stage 2 disease, alpha-fetoprotein level of ≥ 20 ng/ml, presence of cirrhosis, anti-hepatitis C virus positivity, age > 65 years, and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score of > 9. However, the three-year CS indicated that these variables were associated with shortened survival only in the first two years. From the third year after LR, the probability of survival of patients was similar between subgroups. CS is useful for providing a dynamic evaluation of survival during postoperative follow-up.

Therapeutic analysis of 632 cases treated by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization combined with ablation in hepatocellular carcinoma: A retrospective study

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to analyze the efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with radiofrequency ablation (RFA), microwave ablation (MWA), and cryoablation (CA) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 632 patients with HCC at Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Staging (BCLC) System stages 0, A, and B from Beijing You'an Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University. The primary outcomes analyzed were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), while the secondary outcomes included one-, three-, and five-year OS rates among different groups.

RESULTS

The median follow-up period for 632 cases identified with HCC was 52.1 months (range: 3-162 months), while 127 patients died during follow-up. The one-, three-, and five-year OS rates were 97.1 %, 89.5 %, and 80.4 %, respectively. Moreover, the one-, three-, and five-year PFS rates were 58.1 %, 29.3 %, and 19.8 %, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that the BCLC stages and complete ablation were independent predictors of OS and PFS (all p < 0.05). Subgroup analysis showed no difference in OS rate among TACE-RFA, TACE-MWA, and TACE-CA groups, but TACE-CA showed better efficacy in improving the PFS rate (all p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of TACE and ablation is effective in early-stage HCC and BCLC stage B. Complete ablation and BCLC stages are significant prognostic factors for PFS and OS. Further research, including randomized controlled trials, is needed to validate these findings.

A simple model to predict early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after liver resection

PURPOSE

Multiple studies have reported models for predicting early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after liver resection (LR). However, these models are too complex to use in daily practice. We aimed to develop a simple model.

METHOD

We enrolled 1133 patients with newly diagnosed HCC undergoing LR. The Kaplan - Meier method and log-rank test were used for survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards analysis to identify prognostic factors associated with early recurrence (i.e., recurrence within two years after LR).

RESULTS

Early recurrence was identified in 403 (35.1%) patients. In multivariate analysis, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) 20-399 vs. < 20 ng/ml (HR = 1.282 [95% confidence interval = 1.002-1.639]; p = 0.048); AFP ≥ 400 vs. < 20 ng/ml (HR = 1.755 [1.382-2.229]; p < 0.001); 7th edition American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage 2 vs. 1 (HR = 1.958 [1.505-2.547]; p < 0.001); AJCC stage 3 vs. 1 (HR = 4.099 [3.043-5.520]; p < 0.001); and pathology-defined cirrhosis (HR = 1.46 [1.200-1.775]; p < 0.001) were associated with early recurrence. We constructed a predictive model with these variables, which provided three risk strata for recurrence-free survival (RFS): low risk, intermediate risk, and high risk, with two-year RFS of 79%, 57%, and 35%, respectively (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

We developed a simple model to predict early recurrence risk for patients undergoing LR for HCC.

Development and validation of nomograms to predict survival and recurrence after hepatectomy for intermediate/advanced (BCLC stage B/C) hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Despite the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer system discouraging hepatectomy for intermediate/advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, the procedure is still performed worldwide, particularly in Asia. This study aimed to develop and validate nomograms for predicting survival and recurrence for these patients.

METHODS

We analyzed patients who underwent curative-intent hepatectomy for intermediate/advanced hepatocellular carcinoma between 2010 and 2020 across 3 Chinese hospitals. The Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital cohort was used as the training cohort for the nomogram construction, and the Jilin First Hospital and Fujian Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital cohorts served as the external validation cohorts. Independent preoperative predictors for survival and recurrence were identified through univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses. Predictive accuracy was measured using the concordance index and calibration curves. The predictive performance between nomograms and conventional hepatocellular carcinoma staging systems was compared.

RESULTS

A total of 1,328 patients met the inclusion criteria. The nomograms for predicting survival and recurrence were developed using 10 and 6 independent variables, respectively. Nomograms' concordance indices in the training cohort were 0.777 (95% confidence interval 0.759-0.800) and 0.719 (95% confidence interval 0.697-0.742) for survival and recurrence, outperforming 4 conventional staging systems (P < .001). Nomograms accurately stratified risk into low, intermediate, and high subgroups. These results were validated well by 2 external validation cohorts.

CONCLUSION

We developed and validated nomograms predicting survival and recurrence for patients with intermediate/advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, contradicting Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer surgical guidelines. These nomograms may facilitate clinicians to formulate personalized surgical decisions, estimate long-term prognosis, and strategize neoadjuvant/adjuvant anti-recurrence therapy.

Proposal for Prognosis-Oriented Definition of Borderline Resectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Owing to advances in the multidisciplinary treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a conceptualization and definition for borderline resectable (BR) HCC, which carries a high risk of recurrence, is warranted. In this study, we aimed to define BR-HCC using a prognosis-oriented approach.

STUDY DESIGN

The study included an original cohort of 221 patients and an independent validation cohort of 181 patients who had undergone primary hepatic resection for HCC. To define biological BR-HCC, we evaluated the risk factors for early recurrence beyond the Milan criteria within 1 year after hepatic resection using multivariable logistic regression models. Subsequently, we developed high-risk scores using the identified risk factors and defined BR-HCC. The utility of high-risk score was validated in the validation cohort.

RESULTS

In the original cohort (hepatitis B virus:hepatitis C virus = 20%:29%), recurrence beyond the Milan criteria within 1 year was observed in 28 patients (13%), with a 5-year survival rate of 25%. Multivariable analysis identified risk factors for recurrence beyond the Milan criteria within 1 year, including serum alpha-fetoprotein levels of 12 ng/mL or more (p = 0.02), tumor diameters less than 5 cm (p = 0.02), tumor number 3 or more (p = 0.001), and macrovascular invasion (p = 0.04). BR-HCC was defined as a tumor with 2 or more identified risk factors, and 42 patients (19%) were diagnosed with BR-HCC, with a 5-year survival rate of 51%. In the validation cohort, 45 (25%) patients had BR-HCC, with a 5-year survival rate of 42%.

CONCLUSIONS

The prognosis-oriented definition of BR-HCC enabled us to identify patients who are susceptible to early unresectable recurrence and have poor survival after hepatic resection for HCC. For patients with BR-HCC, preoperative systemic therapy may be a viable option to improve postresection outcomes.

Adjuvant immunotherapy improves recurrence-free and overall survival following surgical resection for intermediate/advanced hepatocellular carcinoma a multicenter propensity matching analysis

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The effectiveness of adjuvant immunotherapy to diminish recurrence and improve long-term prognosis following curative-intent surgical resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is of increased interest, especially among individuals at high risk of recurrence. The objective of the current study was to investigate the impact of adjuvant immunotherapy on long-term recurrence and survival after curative resection among patients with intermediate/advanced HCC.

METHODS

Using a prospectively-collected multicenter database, patients who underwent curative-intent resection for Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage B/C HCC were identified. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used to compare recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) between patients treated with and without adjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Multivariate Cox-regression analysis further identified independent factors of RFS and OS.

RESULTS

Among the 627 enrolled patients, 109 patients (23.3%) received adjuvant immunotherapy. Most ICI-related adverse reactions were grading I-II. PSM analysis created 99 matched pairs of patients with comparable baseline characteristics between patients treated with and without adjuvant immunotherapy. In the PSM cohort, the median RFS (29.6 vs. 19.3 months, P=0.031) and OS (35.1 vs. 27.8 months, P=0.036) were better among patients who received adjuvant immunotherapy versus patients who did not. After adjustment for other confounding factors on multivariable analyzes, adjuvant immunotherapy remained independently associated with favorable RFS (HR: 0.630; 95% CI: 0.435-0.914; P=0.015) and OS (HR: 0.601; 95% CI: 0.401-0.898; P=0.013). Subgroup analyzes identified potentially prognostic benefits of adjuvant immunotherapy among patients with intermediate-stage and advanced-stage HCC.

CONCLUSION

This real-world observational study demonstrated that adjuvant immunotherapy was associated with improved RFS and OS following curative-intent resection of intermediate/advanced HCC. Future randomized controlled trials are warranted to establish definitive evidence for this specific population at high risks of recurrence.

Surgical resection for large hepatocellular carcinoma and those beyond BCLC: systematic review with proposed management algorithm

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for the sixth most common cancer and ranks third in mortality worldwide with inhomogeneity in terms of resection for advanced-stage disease.

METHODS

A systematic review of published literature using the PubMed, Medline, and Google Scholar databases from 1995 to 2020 was conducted to identify studies that reported outcomes of resection for solitary HCC > 10 cm, BCLC B/C, and multinodular HCC. Our aim was to assess overall survival for resection, identify poor prognostic factors, and to compare it to trans-arterial chemotherapy (TACE) where data was available.

RESULTS

Eighty-nine articles were included after a complete database search in the systematic review as per our predefined criteria. Analysis revealed a 5-year overall survival of 33.5% for resection of HCC > 10 cm, 41.7% for BCLC B, 23.3% for BCLC C, and 36.6% for multinodular HCC. Peri-operative mortality ranged from 0 to 6.9%. Studies comparing resection versus TACE for BCLC B/C had a survival of 40% versus 17%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Our systematic review justifies hepatic resection wherever feasible for hepatocellular carcinomas > 10 cm, BCLC B, BCLC C, and multinodular tumors. In addition, we identified and proposed an algorithm with five poor prognostic criteria in this group of patients who may benefit from adjuvant TACE.

Interval dynamics of transplantability for hepatocellular carcinoma after primary curative resection: risk factors for nontransplantable recurrence

BACKGROUND

To investigate the changes in transplantability between primary and recurrent Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after hepatic resection (HR) and the risk factors for nontransplantable recurrence (NTR).

METHODS

Consecutive 3122 patients who received HR for primary HCC between 2001 and 2019 were analyzed for changes in transplantability. Predictors of survival and NTR were evaluated using a competing risk analysis.

RESULTS

After a median follow-up of 78.3 months, the 5-year overall survival rate was 82.6%. Also, 58.2% of them developed recurrence after a median of 45.6 months. Recurrence occurred in 1205 and 611 patients with primary transplantable and nontransplantable HCC, respectively, of whom 26.1% and 63.2%, respectively, had NTR. Tumor diameter >3 cm [subdistribution hazard ratios (95% CI), 2.00 (1.62-2.48)], major resection [1.20 (1.00-1.43)], pathological grade >2 [1.28 (1.07-1.52)], microvascular invasion [1.74 (1.45-2.08)], and early recurrence (<1 year) [9.22 (7.83-10.87)] were associated with NTR. The overall transplantable pool increased from 72.3% to 77.5%.

CONCLUSION

Microvascular invasion and early recurrence were risk factors for NTR. Nonetheless, the transplantable pool increased after HR, 41.8% of the patients had no recurrence and may not require liver transplantation. If the patient's liver function is acceptable, HR should be considered the treatment of choice for HCC.

A long non-coding RNA-based signature predicts early recurrence in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Early recurrence is the main obstacle for long-term survival of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after curative resection.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to develop a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) based signature to predict early recurrence.

METHODS

Using bioinformatics analysis and quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR), we screened for lncRNA candidates that were abnormally expressed in HCC. The expression levels of candidate lncRNAs were analyzed in HCC tissues from 160 patients who underwent curative resection, and a risk model for the prediction of recurrence within 1 year (early recurrence) of HCCs was constructed with linear support vector machine (SVM).

RESULTS

A lncRNA-based classifier (Clnc), which contained nine differentially expressed lncRNAs including AF339810, AK026286, BC020899, HEIH, HULC, MALAT1, PVT1, uc003fpg, and ZFAS1 was constructed. In the test set, this classifier reliably predicted early recurrence (AUC, 0.675; sensitivity, 72.0%; specificity, 63.1%) with an odds ratio of 4.390 (95% CI, 2.120-9.090). Clnc showed higher accuracy than traditional clinical features, including tumor size, portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) in predicting early recurrence (AUC, 0.675 vs 0.523 vs 0.541), and had much higher sensitivity than Barcelona Clinical Liver Cancer (BCLC; 72.0% vs 50.0%), albeit their AUCs were comparable (0.675 vs 0.678). Moreover, combining Clnc with BCLC significantly increased the AUC, compared with Clnc or BCLC alone in predicting early recurrence (all P< 0.05). Finally, logistic and Cox regression analysis suggested that Clnc was an independent prognostic factor and associated with the early recurrence and recurrence-free survival of HCC patients after resection, respectively (all P= 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our lncRNA-based classifier Clnc can predict early recurrence of patients undergoing surgical resection of HCC.

Impact of Postoperative Complications on Long-Term Survival After Resection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Controversy exists over the relationship between postoperative complications (POCs) and long-term survival for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after hepatectomy. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of POCs on overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) for HCC after liver resection.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were used to search for eligible studies published through 18 April 2020, and studies comparing the long-term outcomes between HCC patients with and without POCs after hepatectomy were included. A random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled hazard ratio (HR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were performed to assess the potential influence of study-, patient-, and tumor-related factors on the relationship between POCs and oncologic outcomes and to adjust their effect. This study was registered at the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42019136109).

RESULTS

Thirty-seven studies, including 14,096 patients, were deemed eligible and included in this study. Compared with those without POCs, patients who developed POCs had a significant reduction in OS (HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.28-1.50, P < 0.001; prediction interval 1.04-1.85) and tended to have worse DFS (HR 1.25, 95% CI 1.16-1.35, P < 0.001; prediction interval 0.98-1.60). Contour-enhanced funnel plots suggested a risk of publication bias. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression showed that POCs remained a threat to OS and DFS regardless of the influence of clinicopathological factors.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that POCs had an adverse impact on OS and DFS in HCC patients after liver resection.

Rethinking the Barcelona clinic liver cancer guidelines: Intermediate stage and Child-Pugh B patients are suitable for surgery?

According to Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer recommendations, intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinomas (stage B) are excluded from liver resection and are referred to palliative treatment. Moreover, Child-Pugh B patients are not usually candidates for liver resection. However, many hepatobiliary centers in the world manage patients with intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma or Child-Pugh B cirrhosis with liver resection, maintaining that hepatic resection is not contraindicated in selected patients with non-early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma and without normal liver function. Several studies demonstrate that resection provides the best survival benefit for selected patients in very early/early and even in intermediate stages of Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer classification, and this treatment gives good results in the setting of multinodular, large tumors in patients with portal hypertension and/or Child-Pugh B cirrhosis. In this review we explore this controversial topic, and we show through the literature analysis how liver resection may improve the short- and long-term survival rate of carefully selected Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer B and Child-Pugh B hepatocellular carcinoma patients. However, other large clinical studies are needed to clarify which patients with intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma are most likely to benefit from liver resection.

Key Enzymes in Pyrimidine Synthesis, CAD and CPS1, Predict Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have a highly variable clinical course. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify new prognostic markers to determine prognosis and select specific therapies. Recently, it has been demonstrated that dysregulation of the urea cycle (UC) is a common phenomenon in multiple types of cancer. Upon UC dysregulation, nitrogen is diverted toward the multifunctional enzyme carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase 2, aspartate transcarbamoylase, and dihydroorotase (CAD), and increases pyrimidine synthesis. In this study, we investigated the role of CAD and carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1), a rate-limiting enzyme of the UC highly expressed in hepatocytes, in HCC. We created a tissue microarray to analyze expression of both enzymes by immunohistochemistry in a large and well-characterized overall cohort of 871 HCCs of 561 patients that underwent surgery. CAD was induced in recurrent HCCs, and high expression predicted shorter overall survival. CPS1 was downregulated in HCC and further reduced in recurrent tumors and distant metastases. Additionally, low CPS1 was associated with short overall survival. A combined score of both enzymes was an independent prognostic marker in a multivariate Cox regression model (HR = 1.37, 95% confidence interval 1.06-1.75, p = 0.014). Inhibition of pyrimidine synthesis may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for HCC.

Liver transplantation and BCLC classification: Limitations impede optimum treatment

BACKGROUND

The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) system has been endorsed by international guidelines as a staging algorithm of hepatocellular carcinoma. This analysis was performed to assess the outcome of liver transplantation in patients treated against the BCLC recommendations.

METHODS

The data of 198 patients who underwent liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma were extracted from a prospectively maintained database to classify the patients according to the BCLC system.

RESULTS

BCLC staging was as follows: 0, n = 5; A, n = 77; B, n = 41; C, n = 53; and D, n = 22. Accordingly, liver transplantation was performed in the majority of patients against BCLC recommendations. Surgery (n = 16), radiofrequency ablation (n = 15) and transarterial chemoembolization (n = 151) preceded liver transplantation in 182 patients. Sixteen patients were transplanted without pretreatment. The1-, 5- and 10-year survival rates were 83.8%, 62.4% and 45.9%, and 1-, 5-, and 10-year recurrence rates were 7.7%, 22.7% and 26.7%. The BCLC classification did neither impact survival (P = 0.796) nor recurrence (P = 0.693). In the Cox analysis, RECIST tumor progression and initial alpha fetoprotein were independent predictors of outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

Neither the oncological nor the functional stratification imposed by the BCLC system was of importance for outcome. Lack of flexibility and disregard of biological parameters hamper its clinical applicability in liver transplantation.

New Hepatic Resection Criteria for Intermediate-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma Can Improve Long-Term Survival: A Retrospective, Multicenter Collaborative Study

BACKGROUND

Hepatic resection (HR) is not recommended for intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer criteria. We examined the prognostic factors of HR for intermediate-stage HCC and developed new HR criteria for intermediate-stage HCC.

METHODS

A total of 110 patients who underwent HR without any prior treatment for intermediate-stage HCC between January 2007 and December 2012 were enrolled at eight university hospitals. The outcomes and prognostic factors of HR were evaluated to develop new HR criteria.

RESULTS

In terms of tumor size and number, the most significant prognostic factors were within the up-to-seven criteria. Furthermore, serum albumin level ≥35 g/L and serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level.

Is it Rational to Perform Liver Resection for Patients with Intermediate and Advanced Stages of Hepatocellular Carcinoma?

This study aimed to investigate clinical characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma and the outcome of our aggressive treatment policy which follows the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) guidance. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed data of 102 patients who were treated for hepatocellular carcinoma between January 2007 and October 2016. Male predominance (81.4%) and a median age of 61 years were observed. Cirrhosis was evident in 88.2 per cent of patients. Viral hepatitis (77.5%) was the most common underlying etiology. The majority of our patients (71.6%) were in BCLC B and C stages. Liver resection was performed in 53.4 per cent of patients in those stages. Transarterial chemoembolization was the leading interventional treatment. Overall survival rates at three and five years were 75 per cent and 75 per cent in BCLC 0, 69 per cent and 58 per cent in BCLC A, 50 per cent and 41 per cent in BCLC B, and 11 per cent and 11 per cent in BCLC C, respectively. The BCLC treatment algorithm should consider the role of liver resection also for intermediate stages.

Clinical Relevance of Reductive Hepatectomy for Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Stages B and C Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Single-Center Experience of 102 Patients

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical relevance of hepatectomy for Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stages B and C advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS

A total of 314 patients (149 and 165 BCLC stages B and C, respectively) who underwent hepatectomy were included. Complete hepatectomy (without residual tumors after hepatectomy) and reductive hepatectomy (apparent residual tumors after hepatectomy) were performed for 212 and 102 patients, respectively. Short-term operative and postoperative outcomes, as well as long-term outcomes, were evaluated.

RESULTS

The median survival times of patients with stage B disease undergoing complete hepatectomy and reductive hepatectomy were 48.9 and 20.1 months, respectively (p = 0.0075), whereas those of patients with stage C disease were 19.5 and 17.6 months, respectively (p = 0.0140). The 3-year overall survival rates of patients with stage B disease undergoing reductive hepatectomy with and without subsequent local treatments after surgery were 47.5% and 0%, respectively, whereas those of patients with stage C diseases were 18.6% and 0%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Survival benefits are obvious for both BCLC stages B and C HCC when complete hepatectomy can be performed safely. Reductive hepatectomy is also acceptable for BCLC stages B and C when subsequent local treatment for remnant liver tumors can be performed safely after reductive hepatectomy. Without subsequent local treatment, reductive hepatectomy has little clinical relevance. Thus, a cautious approach to patient selection is required for this aggressive strategy.

Neoadjuvant Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy for Resectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma With Portal Vein Tumor Thrombus: A Randomized, Open-Label, Multicenter Controlled Study

PURPOSE

To compare the survival outcomes of neoadjuvant three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (RT) followed by hepatectomy with hepatectomy alone in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A randomized, multicenter controlled study was conducted from January 2016 to December 2017 in patients with resectable HCC and PVTT. Patients were randomly assigned to receive neoadjuvant RT followed by hepatectomy (n = 82) or hepatectomy alone (n = 82). The modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST) guidelines were used to evaluate the therapeutic effects of RT. The primary end point was overall survival. The expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in patients’ serum before RT and in surgical specimens was correlated with response to RT.

RESULTS

In the neoadjuvant RT group, 17 patients (20.7%) had partial remission. The overall survival rates for the neoadjuvant RT group at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months were 89.0%, 75.2%, 43.9%, and 27.4%, respectively, compared with 81.7%, 43.1%, 16.7%, and 9.4% in the surgery-alone group (P < .001). The corresponding disease-free survival rates were 56.9%, 33.0%, 20.3%, and 13.3% versus 42.1%, 14.9%, 5.0%, and 3.3% (P < .001). On multivariable Cox regression analyses, neoadjuvant RT significantly reduced HCC-related mortality and HCC recurrence rates compared with surgery alone (hazard ratios, 0.35 [95% CI, 0.23 to 0.54; P < .001] and 0.45 [95% CI, 0.31 to 0.64; P < .001]). Increased expressions of IL-6 in pre-RT serum and tumor tissues were significantly associated with resistance to RT.

CONCLUSION

For patients with resectable HCC and PVTT, neoadjuvant RT provided significantly better postoperative survival outcomes than surgery alone. IL-6 may predict response to RT in these patients.

Pretreatment risk management of a novel nomogram model for prediction of thoracoabdominal extrahepatic metastasis in primary hepatic carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Extrahepatic metastasis is the independent risk factor of poor survival of primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC), and most occurs in the chest and abdomen. Currently, there is still no available method to predict thoracoabdominal extrahepatic metastasis in PHC. In this study, a novel nomogram model was developed and validated for prediction of thoracoabdominal extrahepatic metastasis in PHC, thereby conducted individualized risk management for pretreatment different risk population.

METHODS

The nomogram model was developed in a primary study that consisted of 330 consecutive pretreatment patients with PHC. Large-scale datasets were extracted from clinical practice. The nomogram was based on the predictors optimized by data dimension reduction through Lasso regression. The prediction performance was measured by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC), and calibrated to decrease the overfit bias. Individualized risk management was conducted by weighing the net benefit of different risk population via decision curve analysis. The prediction performance was internally and independently validated, respectively. An independent-validation study using a separate set of 107 consecutive patients.

RESULTS

Four predictors from 55 high-dimensional clinical datasets, including size, portal vein tumor thrombus, infection, and carbohydrate antigen 125, were incorporated to develop a nomogram model. The nomogram demonstrated valuable prediction performance with AUROC of 0.830 (0.803 in internal-validation, and 0.773 in independent-validation, respectively), and fine calibration. Individual risk probability was visually scored. Weighing the net benefit, threshold probability was classified for three-independent risk population, which was < 19.9%, 19.9-71.8% and > 71.8%, respectively. According to this classification, pretreatment risk management was based on a treatment-flowchart for individualized clinical decision-making.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed nomogram is a useful tool for pretreatment risk management of thoracoabdominal extrahepatic metastasis in PHC for the first time, and may handily facilitate timely individualized clinical decision-making for different risk population.

Critical systematic review on hepatic resection and transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma

Whether to submit to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) or hepatic resection (HR) patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still a debated issue. We conducted a systematic review to critically analyze what evidence supports the use of TACE, in a specific clinical condition that can define HCC as 'intermediate'. In addition, we analyzed literature regarding the comparison between TACE and HR. Direct comparisons, between HR and TACE, strongly support the adoption of surgery for patients with large or multinodular HCCs since, albeit 'nonideal' surgical candidates, these patients can still obtain a survival benefit. Multidisciplinary teams can mitigate the different decision-making approach of surgeons and hepatologists with the aim of obtaining the best quality of care.

Postoperative adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization for multinodular hepatocellular carcinoma within the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer early stage and microvascular invasion

Background

The survival benefit of postoperative adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (PA-TACE) remained controversial. We aimed to investigate the prognosis effect of PA-TACE on the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) early stage multinodular hepatocellular carcinoma (MHCC) patients with/without microvascular invasion (MVI).

Methods

Two hundred and seventy-one patients from January 2010 to December 2014 undergoing curative hepatectomy were included in this study. Disease-free survival (DFS) rates and overall survival (OS) rates as well as prognostic factors were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method, the log-rank test and the Cox proportional hazard model.

Results

Thirty-four point four percent (44/128) MVI positive and 55.2% (79/143) MVI negative patients underwent PA-TACE. Multivariate analysis revealed that HBV DNA load >10³ copy/mL, >three tumors, MVI, and without PA-TACE were independent risk factors for poor DFS. Higher alkaline phosphatase (ALP), three tumors, MVI, and without PA-TACE were independent risk factors for poor OS. Both DFS and OS were significantly improved in patients with MVI who received PA-TACE as compared to those who underwent hepatic resection alone (5-year DFS, 26.3% vs. 20.7%, P=0.038; 5-year OS, 73.6% vs. 47.7%, P=0.005). No differences were noted in DFS and OS among MVI negative patients with or without PA-TACE (5-year DFS, 33.7% vs. 33.0%, P=0.471; 5-year OS, 84.1% vs. 80.3%, P=0.523). Early recurrence was more likely to occur in patients without PA-TACE (P=0.001).

Conclusions

PA-TACE was a safe intervention and could effectively prevent tumor recurrence and improve the survival of the BCLC early stage MHCC patients with MVI.