Long-term survival comparison between primary transplant and upfront curative treatment with salvage transplant for early stage hepatocellular carcinoma

Upfront multi-bipolar radiofrequency ablation for HCC in transplant-eligible cirrhotic patients with salvage transplantation in case of recurrence

INTRODUCTION

We aim to assess the long-term outcomes of percutaneous multi-bipolar radiofrequency (mbpRFA) as the first treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in transplant-eligible cirrhotic patients, followed by salvage transplantation for intrahepatic distant tumour recurrence or liver failure.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We included transplant-eligible patients with cirrhosis and a first diagnosis of HCC within Milan criteria treated by upfront mbp RFA. Transplantability was defined by age <70 years, social support, absence of significant comorbidities, no active alcohol use and no recent extrahepatic cancer. Baseline variables were correlated with outcomes using the Kaplan-Meier and Cox models.

RESULTS

Among 435 patients with HCC, 172 were considered as transplantable with HCCs >2 cm (53%), uninodular (87%) and AFP >100 ng/mL (13%). Median overall survival was 87 months, with 75% of patients alive at 3 years, 61% at 5 years and 43% at 10 years. Age (p = .003) and MELD>10 (p = .01) were associated with the risk of death. Recurrence occurred in 118 patients within Milan criteria in 81% of cases. Local recurrence was observed in 24.5% of cases at 10 years and distant recurrence rates were observed in 69% at 10 years. After local recurrence, 69% of patients were still alive at 10 years. At the first tumour recurrence, 75 patients (65%) were considered transplantable. Forty-one patients underwent transplantation, mainly for distant intrahepatic tumour recurrence. The overall 5-year survival post-transplantation was 72%, with a tumour recurrence of 2.4%.

CONCLUSION

Upfront multi-bipolar RFA for a first diagnosis of early HCC on cirrhosis coupled with salvage liver transplantation had a favourable intention-to-treat long-term prognosis, allowing for spare grafts.

The Hong Kong consensus statements on unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: narrative review and update for 2021

Background and Objective

Hong Kong, like many parts of Asia, faces a high burden of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) caused by high endemic rates of hepatitis B virus infection. Hong Kong clinicians have developed a high level of expertise in HCC treatment across surgical, transarterial, ablative, radiotherapeutic and systemic modalities. This publication summarizes the latest evidence-based recommendations on how these modalities should be used.

Methods

In two meetings held in 2020, a multidisciplinary panel of surgeons, oncologists and interventional radiologists performed a narrative review of evidence on the management of HCC, with an emphasis on treatment of HCC not amenable to surgical resection. Close attention was paid to new evidence published since the previous version of these statements in 2018.

Key Content and Findings

The expert panel has formulated 60 consensus statements to guide the staging and treatment of unresectable HCC. Since the previous version of these statements, considerable additions have been made to the recommendations on use of targeted therapies and immunotherapies because of the large volume of new evidence.

Conclusions

Our consensus statements offer guidance on how to select HCC patients for surgical or non-surgical treatment and for choosing among non-surgical modalities for patients who are not candidates for resection. In particular, there is a need for more evidence to aid physicians in the selection of second-line systemic therapies, as currently most data are limited to patients with disease progression on first-line sorafenib.

Impact of Time to Recurrence on Survival Outcome of Salvage Liver Transplantation

BACKGROUND

Salvage liver transplantation (SLT) is the ideal treatment for patients with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver cirrhosis. The optimal timing for offering SLT was controversial. This study aimed at investigating the impact of time to recurrence and other prognostic factors on survival outcome after SLT.

METHODS

Between May 2000 and April 2019, patients who had undergone hepatectomy or ablation for HCC and later received SLT in Queen Mary Hospital were included. Clinico-pathological data during primary treatment and SLT were retrospectively reviewed. Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test were used to determine overall and disease-free survival after SLT. Prognostic factors affecting overall and disease-free survival were determined by multivariate analysis using Cox regression analysis. P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Fifty-three patients were identified within the specified period including 22 patients in early recurrence group (ER group, time to recurrence within 1 year) and 31 patients in late recurrence group (LR group, time to recurrence more than 1 year). The 1-, 5-, and 10-year overall survival after primary treatment was 100%, 76.6%, and 61.1% in the ER group and 100%, 90%, and 76.4% in the LR group (p = 0.59). There were no statistical differences in overall survival (p = 0.84) and disease-free survival (p = 0.85) after SLT between ER and LR group. Pre-transplant alpha-fetoprotein >  = 400 ng/mL (p = 0.007) and macrovascular invasion in explant (p = 0.002) were independent risk factors for shorter overall survival after primary treatment.

CONCLUSION

Time to recurrence after primary treatment of HCC did not affect survival outcome after SLT. With careful patient selection, SLT could be offered to patient with early or late tumor recurrence.

Survival according to recurrence patterns after resection for transplantable hepatocellular carcinoma in HBV endemic area: Appraisal of liver transplantation strategy

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Since there is a shortage of liver donors, we investigated recurrence patterns and outcomes after liver resection (LR) to determine the feasibility of salvage liver transplantation (SLT).

METHODS

We analyzed 468 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within the Milan criteria (MC) who were mainly associated with Hepatitis B virus infection (76.3%) and had undergone curative LR as an initial treatment.

RESULTS

The overall survival (OS) rates were 86.6% and 67.4% at 5 and 10 years after LR, respectively. During a median follow-up of 59 months, 211 patients experienced recurrences including 175 (37.4%) within MC and 36 (7.7%) beyond MC. Survival was lowest in patients with beyond MC-recurrence followed by within MC- and no-recurrence groups (26.5%, 86.6%, and 94.7% at 5 years, respectively, P<0.001). Independent pathologic predictors of recurrence beyond MC were the presence of satellite nodules, microvascular invasion, and unfavorable gross findings (multinodular confluent and infiltrative) (all, P<0.05). Patients with all three risk factors experienced recurrence with the highest cumulative incidence of mortality. Among 173 patients with recurrence within MC, the cumulative incidence of HCC progression beyond MC despite resection and locoregional treatment (LRT) was 29% and 60% at 5 and 10 years after recurrence, respectively, and their 10-year OS rate was 25.8%.

CONCLUSION

Curative LR achieved a 5-year survival of>85% in patients with transplantable HCC, but early SLT after recurrence within MC is advocated because of poor survival and high risk of progression thereafter. Further, prophylactic LT could be considered for those with high risk of recurrence.

Computed Tomography-Guided Percutaneous Cryoablation for ‎ Subcardiac Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Safety, Efficacy, Therapeutic Results and Risk Factors for Survival Outcomes

Objective

To investigate the clinical safety, efficacy, therapeutic outcomes and risk factors of computed tomography-guided percutaneous cryoablation (CT-PCRA) for subcardiac hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Patients and Methods

In this study, patients with single HCC nodules located on the left lobe who subsequently underwent CT-PCRA were reviewed from July 2012 to August 2016. According to the definition of subcardiac HCC, the patients were grouped into the subcardiac HCC group (n=33) and the non-subcardiac HCC group (n=40). The technical success rates, tumour response rates, oncological outcomes including overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) and complications were compared. Multivariate analysis was performed on clinicopathological variables to identify factors affecting long-term outcomes.

Results

Seventy-three patients with subcardiac HCC were included in this study. After a median follow-up time of 37.8 months, 27.4% (20/73) of the patients died. The technical success and complete response rates were not significantly different between the two groups (p = 1.000; p = 0.590). The cumulative OS and RFS of the subcardiac HCC group were comparable to those of the non-subcardiac HCC group (p =0.820, p =0.922). Two major complications, intra-abdominal bleeding and right pleural effusion, were found at 2.2 and 3.1 months in the subcardiac HCC group, which were comparable with those in the non-subcardiac HCC group (p = 0.683). The multivariate analysis results showed that older age (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.382, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.884–7.823; p = 0.038) and ALBI grade 2–3 (HR: 3.398, 95% CI: 1.950–6.058; p = 0.021) may be predictors of poor OS and that tumour size ≥3 cm in diameter (HR: 3.302, 95% CI: 2.232–8.293; p = 0.012) may be a predictor of poor RFS.

Conclusion

CT-PCRA for subcardiac HCC can be performed safely and efficiently and contribute to improving survival prognosis.

Image-Guided Percutaneous ‎Microwave Ablation Versus Cryoablation For Hepatocellular Carcinoma In High-Risk Locations: Intermediate-Term Results

Objective

The aims of this study were to compare the clinical outcomes between image-guided percutaneous microwave ablation (MWA) and cryoablation (CRA) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in high-risk locations and to identify the prognostic factors associated with the two treatment methods.

Methods

This retrospective study was institutional review board approved. A total of 120 patients (88 men and 32 women) with one hundred and thirty-four HCC lesions in high-risk locations from April 2014 to March 2018 were reviewed. Sixty-four patients underwent MWA and 56 patients underwent CRA. Survival, recurrence and complications were compared between the two groups. Effect of changes in key outcomes (i.e., overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS) and local tumor progression (LTP)) was statistically analyzed with the log rank test. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed on clinicopathological variables to identify factors affecting intermediate-term outcomes.

Results

The OS and RFS after MWA were comparable to those of CRA (P =0.141, and P=0.469, respectively). The LTP and major complication in MWA group was higher than those in CRA group (P=0.003, and P=0.039). Univariate analysis showed that age (P=0.007), tumor size (P=0.001), and Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) grade (P=0.003) were risk factors for OS, and multivariate analysis results showed that older age (≥65 years) (P=0.002, HR:3.338, 95% CI:1.928–5.281), 3.0–5.0 cm in size (P<0.001, HR: 3.312, 95% CI: 1.872–4.489) and CTP grade B (P=0.001, HR:3.382, 95% CI: 1.882–5.902) were independently associated with poor OS.

Conclusion

CRA had comparable oncologic outcomes with MWA and could be a safe and effective treatment for HCC in high-risk locations.