Hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma. An audit of 343 patients

Comparison of clinical characteristics and outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma based on serum alpha-fetoprotein status

BACKGROUND

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is the most commonly used and crucial tumor marker in clinical diagnosis and prognosis guidance for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, approximately 30% of HCC patients do not exhibit abnormal serum AFP levels at the time of diagnosis. This study aims to investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis differences between AFP-negative and AFP-positive patients with HCC.

METHODS

Clinical data on patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2015 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program were collected and analyzed. All patients with HCC were reported as AFP-negative or AFP-positive based on AFP test results. Overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were compared between the AFP-negative and AFP-positive patients. Logistic regression analysis and multivariable Cox regression analysis were performed to identify the association of AFP with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and CSS.

RESULTS

Of 7090 patients, 2074 (29.3%) and 5016 (70.7%) were AFP-negative and AFP-positive patients, respectively. The 5-year OS and CSS rates in AFP-negative patients were significantly better than AFP-positive patients (36.4 vs. 20.7% and 46.7 vs. 27.2%, both P  < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the AFP level was an independent risk factor of tumor size [odds ratio (OR), 1.821; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.625-2.040; P  < 0.001], N stage (OR, 1.922; 95% CI, 1.528-2.417; P   <  0.001) and M stage (OR, 2.435; 95% CI, 1.980-2.995; P  < 0.001). On multivariable Cox-regression analyses, AFP-positive was associated with decreased CSS (hazard ratio, 1.452; 95% CI, 1.355-1.557; P  < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Abnormal serum AFP was significantly associated with worse prognosis, larger tumor size, more lymph node metastasis, and distant metastasis. Patients with AFP-positive may need more individualized treatment decision and further optimization of HCC management strategies.

Efficacy and safety of terlipressin infusion during liver surgery: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Liver disease causes 2 million deaths annually, accounting for 4% of all deaths worldwide. Liver surgery is one of the effective therapeutic options. Bleeding is a major complication during liver surgery. Perioperative bleeding and allogeneic blood transfusion may deteriorate the prognosis. Terlipressin (TP), a synthetic analogue of the antidiuretic hormone, may reduceblood loss during abdominal surgery. Several clinical centres have attempted to use TP during liver surgery, but the evidence for its effectiveness in reducing blood loss and the need for allogeneic blood transfusion, as well as its safety during the perioperative period, remains unclear. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TP in reducing blood loss and allogeneic blood transfusion needs during liver surgery.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We will search PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and Web of Science for studies on perioperative use of TP during liver surgery from inception to July 2023. We will limit the language to English, and two reviewers will independently screen and select articles. The primary study outcomes are estimated blood loss and the need for allogeneic blood transfusion. Secondary outcomes include operating time, intensive care unit stay, length of stay, intraoperative urine output, acute kidney injury rate, postoperative complications, hepatic and renal function during follow-up, and TP-related adverse effects. We will include studies that met the following criteria: (1) randomised controlled trials (RCTs), cohort studies or case-control studies; (2) the publication time was till July 2023; (3) adult patients (≥18 years old) undergoing elective liver surgery; (4) comparison of TP with other treatments and (5) the study includes at least one outcome. We will exclude animal studies, case reports, case series, non-original articles, reviews, paediatric articles, non-controlled trials, unpublished articles, non-English articles and other studies that are duplicates. We will use Review Manager V.5.3 software for meta-analysis and perform stratification analysis for the study quality of RCTs based on the Jadad score. For cohort or case-control studies, the study quality will be analysed based on Newcastle-Ottawa Scale scores. Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation will be used to assess confidence in the cumulative evidence. For primary outcomes, we will conduct subgroup analyses based on meta-regression. We will also perform leave-one-out sensitivity analyses to evaluate the effect of each individual study on the combined results by removing the individual studies one by one for outcomes with significant heterogeneity. The protocol follows the Cochrane Handbook for Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols guidelines.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study is a secondary analysis of existing data; therefore, it does not require ethical approval. We will disseminate the results through peer-reviewed publications.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42023450333.

Noninvasive identification of molecular biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma in HCV-Egyptian patients

BACKGROUND

This study was performed to investigate the expression of different biomarkers in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and its connection with detective biomarkers. To achieve this objective, seventy subjects were examined in this study, sub-grouped to forty HCC patients and thirty HCV-affected patients with matched thirty healthy individuals. The study involved several groups of participants who were matched based on their age and gender.

METHODS

The expression pattern of biomarkers was monitored by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Finally, we utilized a ROC curve to investigate the predictive accurateness of those distinct biomarkers as well as a traditional tumor marker, AFP, in detecting HCC cases.

RESULTS

The baseline biomarker expression levels were markedly greater in HCC patients than in those affected by HCV or healthy subjects. We stated that the sensitivity and the specificity of the different biomarkers alone did not improve than that of AFP alone. When comparing AFP with different biomarkers, the diagnostic validity improves only when combining with CK-1.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, our results indicate that CK-1 mRNA expression could help as a noninvasive tumor biomarker for HCC prognosis and diagnosis when combining with AFP.

Caudal Approach to Laparoscopic Liver Resection-Conceptual Benefits for Repeated Multimodal Treatment for Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Extended Right Posterior Sectionectomy in the Left Lateral Position

We had reported the novel concept of "caudal approach in laparoscopic liver resection" in 2013. In the first report, the caudal approach of laparoscopic transection-first posterior sectionectomy without prior mobilization of the liver in the left lateral position was described. Thereafter, 10 complex laparoscopic extended posterior sectionectomies with combined resection of the right hepatic vein or diaphragm were performed using the same approach. In the present study, the short-term outcomes of these cases and 42 cases of laparoscopic sectionectomies or hemi-hepatectomies (excluding left lateral sectionectomy) were compared. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of patients' backgrounds, diseases for resection, preoperative liver function, tumor number and size, as well as outcomes, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, morbidity, conversion to laparotomy, and post-operative hospital stay. Even complex laparoscopic extended posterior sectionectomy was safely performed using this procedure. This approach has the technical benefits of acquiring a well-opened transection plane between the resected liver fixed to the retroperitoneum and the residual liver sinking to the left with the force of gravity during parenchymal transection, and less bleeding from the right hepatic vein due to its higher position than the inferior vena cava. Furthermore, it has an oncological benefit similar to that of the anterior approach in open liver resection, even in posterior sectionectomy. The detailed procedure and general conceptual benefits of the caudal approach to laparoscopic liver resection for repeated multimodal treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma are described.

Liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma larger than 10 cm: A multi-institution long-term observational study

BACKGROUND

The treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ≥ 10 cm remains a challenge.

AIM

To consolidate the role of surgical resection for HCC larger than 10 cm.

METHODS

Eligible HCC patients were identified from the Chang Gung Research Database, the largest multi-institution database, which collected medical records of all patients from Chang Gung Memorial Foundation. The surgical outcome of HCC ≥ 10 cm (L-HCC) was compared to that of HCC < 10 cm (S-HCC) (model 1). The survival of L-HCC after either liver resection or transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) was also analyzed (model 2). The long-term risks of all-cause mortality and recurrence were assessed to consolidate the role of surgery for L-HCC.

RESULTS

From January 2004 to July 2015, a total of 32403 HCC patients were identified from the Chang Gung Research Database. Among 3985 patients who received liver resection, 3559 (89.3%) had S-HCC, and 426 had L-HCC. The L-HCC patients had a worse disease-free survival (0.27 for L-HCC vs 0.40 for S-HCC) and overall survival (0.18 for L-HCC vs 0.45 for S-HCC) than the S-HCC after liver resection (both P < 0.001). However, the surgical and long-term outcome of resected L-HCC had improved dramatically in the recent decades. After adjusting for covariates, surgery could provide a better outcome for L-HCC than TACE (adjusted hazard ratio of all-cause mortality: 0.46, 95% confidence interval: 0.38-0.56 for surgery). Subgroup analysis stratified by different stages showed similar trend of survival benefit among L-HCC patients receiving surgery.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated an improving surgical outcome for HCC larger than 10 cm. Under selected conditions, surgery is better than TACE in terms of disease control and survival and should be performed. Due to inferior survival, a subclassification within T1 stage should be considered. Future studies are mandatory to confirm our findings.

131Iodine-DEM TACE vs. conventional TACE in cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a single center experiment

Background

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) with ¹³¹iodine-doxorubicin-eluting gelatin microspheres (¹³¹I-DEM TACE) compared with conventional TACE (cTACE) with polyvinyl alcohol foam (PVA) embolization microspheres.

Methods

A total of 22 patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma were equally divided into 2 groups. The patients who underwent TACE with ¹³¹I-DEM (25.7×10⁷ Bq of 131iodine and 10 mg of doxorubicin) were compared to controls who received cTACE with PVA embolization microspheres. Therapeutic effects were evaluated by the tumor regression rates, levels of alpha-fetoprotein in serum, survival rates, and complications.

Results

The operative complications of the 2 groups were not significantly different (P=0.753). The radioactivity ratio of the tumor to the liver was approximately 4.1:1 for the ¹³¹I-DEM TACE group. In the ¹³¹I-DEM TACE group, 54.5% of patients achieved tumor regression of more than 50%, compared to 36.6% of patients in the cTACE group. AFP levels in serum declined in 100% of patients in the ¹³¹I-DEM TACE group and 50% of patients in the cTACE group. The median survival time of the patients was 12.0±3.3 months for the ¹³¹I-DEM TACE group and 10.0±3.3 months for the cTACE group. There were no significant differences in survival between the 2 groups (P=0.414).

Conclusions

¹³¹I-DEM may become a potential radiochemoembolization agent to treat patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma through TACE.

How frequently does hepatocellular carcinoma develop in at-risk patients with a negative liver MRI examination with intravenous Gadobenate dimeglumine?

OBJECTIVE

To determine the rate of development of clinically significant liver nodules (LR-4, LR-5, LR-M) after a negative MRI in an HCC screening population.

METHODS

This retrospective study included patients at risk of developing HCC requiring imaging surveillance who had undergone multiphase Gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced MRI that was negative and had follow up LI-RADS compliant multiphase CTs or MRIs for at least 12 months or positive follow-up within 12 months. Follow-up examinations were classified as negative (no nodules or only LR-1 nodules) or positive (nodule other than LR-1). Time-to-first positive examination, types of nodules, and cumulative incidence of nodule development were recorded.

RESULTS

204 patients (mean age 58.9 ± 10.2 years, 128 women), including 172 with cirrhosis, were included. Based CT/MRI follow-up (median 35 months, range 12-80 months), the overall cumulative incidence of developing a nodule was 10.5%. Cumulative incidence of nodule development was: 0.5% at 6-9 months and 2.1% at 12 ± 3 months, including one LR-4 nodule, one LR-M nodule, and two LR-3 nodules. The cumulative incidence of clinically significant nodule development was 1.1% at 9-15 months. 70% (143/204) of patients also underwent at least one US follow-up, and no patient developed a positive US examination following index negative MRI.

CONCLUSION

Clinically significant liver nodules develop in 1.1% of at-risk patients in the first year following negative MRI. While ongoing surveillance is necessary for at-risk patients, our study suggests than longer surveillance intervals after a negative MRI may be reasonable and that further research is needed to explore this possibility.

Role of External Beam Radiotherapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

External beam radiotherapy (EBRT) has improved efficacy and safety with advancements in technology and techniques. EBRT plays an important role in management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In resectable cases, EBRT serves as a bridge to transplantation or improves local control through adjuvant radiotherapy. In unresectable patients, EBRT offers high local control rates. In metastatic settings, EBRT provides effective palliation. This review presents an overview of radiotherapy treatment modalities used for HCC, current treatment guidelines for the role of EBRT in HCC, clinical outcomes between various EBRT approaches and other locoregional treatments for HCC, and the future role of EBRT for HCC.

Hepatocarcinoma Induces a Tumor Necrosis Factor-Dependent Kupffer Cell Death Pathway That Favors Its Proliferation Upon Partial Hepatectomy

Partial hepatectomy (PH) is the main treatment for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Yet, a significant number of patients undergo recursion of the disease that could be linked to the fate of innate immune cells during the liver regeneration process. In this study, using a murine model, we investigated the impact of PH on HCC development by bioluminescence imaging and flow cytometry. While non-resected mice were able to control and reject orthotopic implanted Hepa1-6 hepatocarcinoma cells, resected liver underwent an increased tumoral proliferation. This phenomenon was associated with a PH-induced reduction in the number of liver-resident macrophages, i.e., Kupffer cells (KC). Using a conditional ablation model, KC were proved to participate in Hepa1-6 rejection. We demonstrated that in the absence of Hepa1-6, PH-induced KC number reduction was dependent on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), receptor-interacting protein kinase (RIPK) 3, and caspase-8 activation, whereas interleukin (IL)-6 acted as a KC pro-survival signal. In mice with previous Hepa1-6 encounter, the KC reduction switched toward a TNF-α-RIPK3–caspase-1 activation. Moreover, KC disappearance associated with caspase-1 activity induced the recruitment of monocyte-derived cells that are beneficial for tumor growth, while caspase-8-dependent reduction did not. In conclusion, our study highlights the importance of the TNF-α-dependent death pathway induced in liver macrophages following partial hepatectomy in regulating the antitumoral immune responses.

Liver resection of hepatocellular carcinoma within and beyond the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer guideline recommendations: Results from a high-volume liver surgery center in East Asia

BACKGROUND

The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) guidelines were updated in 2012, and a single large hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) more than 5 cm was regarded as BCLC stage A rather than B in the updated version. In this study, we sought to re-evaluate the outcomes of patients with HCC who underwent liver resection (LR) within (stage 0 and A) and beyond (stage B and C) the BCLC guideline recommendations of the updated BCLC staging system.

METHODS

This retrospective study enrolled 774 consecutive patients with naïve HCC who underwent LR from 2011 to 2018 at our institution. The overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) of these patients were examined.

RESULTS

Of the patients, 606 had BCLC stage 0 or A HCC, and 168 had BCLC stage B or C HCC. The 5-year OS and RFS among the patients within the BCLC criteria for LR were 75.2% and 56.1%, respectively, vs 54.9% and 34.0%, respectively, among the patients beyond the BCLC criteria (P < .001). Alpha-fetoprotein more than 400 ng/mL (hazard ratio = 2.06, 95% confidence interval, 1.31-3.26, P = .002) was the only independent variable associated with recurrence among the patients beyond the BCLC criteria.

CONCLUSIONS

LR provided acceptable outcomes among selected patients with BCLC stage B and C HCC.

[Blood-saving technologies in extensive liver resections]

The researches devoted to blood-saving technologies in extensive liver resections are analyzed in the manuscript. Resection of three and more liver segments is effective method of surgical treatment of various focal liver lesions. Surgical (anatomical resection with hilar glissonean access, Pringle maneuver, modern technical equipment, etc.), anesthesiological (reduction of central venous pressure, hemostatic agents) and transfusion (autologous blood donation, transfusion, cell saver, etc.) methods contribute to prevention and reduction of blood loss. Intraoperative measures for blood loss prevention should include adequate surgical incision and liver mobilization, precise techniques of parenchymal dissection (for example, cavitation surgical aspirator-destructor), use of clip applicators and local or systemic hemostatic agents.

Predictors of Early Postoperative Outcomes in 375 Consecutive Hepatectomies: A Single-institution Experience

Although the safety of hepatic resection has improved, it is still a highly morbid procedure. A retrospective cohort of 375 patients undergoing hepatectomy (2004 to 2012) was done. All procedures were performed by a single surgeon at a tertiary center. To help identify trends over time, two subgroups were identified: Group 1 (n = 195 from October 2004 to December 2010) and Group 2 (n = 180 from January 2011 to November 2012). The two study groups had similar patient characteristics except there were more patients with cirrhosis in Group 2 (10 vs 17%, P = 0.04). A similar number of major hepatectomies was noted. Median estimated blood loss was 400 mL versus 300 mL ( P = 0.04) in Group 2. Overall complications were more common in Group 1 (54 vs 45%). Fewer Grade 3 or greater Clavien complications (22 vs 13%, P = 0.04) and fewer hospital readmissions were noted in Group 2 (20 vs 8%, P = 0.002). Morbidity was associated with worse Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, age older than 60 years, and open surgery. Grade 3 or greater Clavien complications were also associated with age older than 60 years, higher American Society of Anesthesiologists class, and worse ECOG status and median estimated blood less greater than 400 mL. Higher Model for End-stage Liver Disease score and advanced ECOG status were correlated with mortality. Outcomes of hepatic resection improved time despite more complex patient characteristics and an equal number of major hepatectomies being performed. However, worse ECOG performance status was a major predictor of postoperative complications and increased mortality.

An Appraisal of Radiofrequency Ablation and Surgical Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Results from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Registry

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide, but only a small percentage of patients are eligible for curative surgical intervention. Over the past decade, radio-frequency ablation (RFA) has been increasingly shown to offer long-term survival benefits. Our study objective was to compare outcomes of patients with HCC who underwent surgical resection with those who received RFA. Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry, we identified 1209 (21%) and 4595 (79%) patients with HCC who received RFA and surgical resection, respectively, between the years 1988 and 2008. When comparing the groups, patients undergoing RFA were older (years, 62.6 vs 58.7; P < 0.001) and had smaller tumors (less than 5 cm; 84.4 vs 61.2%; P < 0.001), yet patients who underwent surgical resection had improved survival over patients undergoing RFA (median survival, 5 vs 3 years, respectively; P < 0.001). Univariate and multivariate analysis verified the superiority of surgical resection over ablation (hazard ratio [HR], 0.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.60 to 0.80; P < 0.001 and HR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.52 to 0.63; P < 0.001, respectively). In summary, our investigation demonstrates that surgical resection provides durable long-term survival for surgical candidates with HCC; however, RFA remains an appropriate alternative therapy that also provides long-term survival in select patients.

Liver fibrosis is a major risk factor for liver regeneration: A comparison between healthy and fibrotic liver

BACKGROUND

Blood flow factors, such as congestion or ischemia after hepatectomy, have a significant impact on liver regeneration, but with the popularization of precise hepatectomy technology, segmental hepatectomy without congestion or ischemia has become the preferred treatment. Our aim is to investigate the factors affecting liver regeneration after hepatectomy without blood flow changes, and to provide clinical evidence for surgeons on the timing of second hepatectomy for cirrhosis patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS

This study retrospectively analyzed data from patients who underwent right hepatectomy without middle hepatic vein (MHV) in West China Hospital between January 2016 and January 2018. Eighteen living-donors without MHV as normal group and 45 HCC patients, further classified into 3 subgroups based on the severity of fibrosis using the Scheure system. Demographic data, pre- and postoperative liver function indexes, and remnant liver volume (RLV) were retrospectively compared. We also analyzed the remnant liver regeneration rate (RLRR) post-operatively in each group. The significant indexes in univariate analysis were further analyzed using both receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and multivariate regression analysis.

RESULTS

Liver regeneration occurred in both living-donor and HCC groups after hepatectomy; the RLRRs at 1 month were 59.46 ± 10.39% and 57.27 ± 4.77% (P = .509), respectively. Regeneration in the cirrhosis group occurred more slowly and less completely compared with that in other groups. The regeneration rate in the first 6 months showed rapid increase and the RLRR reached above 70% in cirrhosis group. Multivariate and ROC analyses revealed that Alb and the hepatic fibrosis grade in the early postoperative period were significant predictors of remnant liver regeneration.

CONCLUSION

The liver regenerated in all HCC patients; however, regeneration was significantly slower and less complete compared with the normal liver, especially in the patients with cirrhosis. Therefore, it can be concluded that the degree of liver fibrosis is a major predictor of liver regeneration. Furthermore, the optimal time for second resection in recurrent HCC patients with cirrhosis was 6 months after the first operation.

Vinorelbine Augments Radiotherapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

There is a need to improve the effectiveness of radiotherapy (RT) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy and toxicity of the anti-microtubule agent Vinorelbine as a radiosensitizer in HCC. The radio sensitivity of 16 HCC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models was determined by quantifying the survival fraction following irradiation in vitro, and Vinorelbine radio sensitization was determined by clonogenic assay. Ectopic HCC xenografts were treated with a single dose of 8 Gy irradiation and twice-weekly 3 mg/kg Vinorelbine. Tumor growth and changes in the proteins involved in DNA repair, angiogenesis, tumor cell proliferation, and survival were assessed, and the 3/16 (18.75%), 7/16 (43.75%), and 6/16 (37.5%) HCC lines were classified as sensitive, moderately sensitive, and resistant, respectively. The combination of RT and Vinorelbine significantly inhibited tumor growth, DNA repair proteins, angiogenesis, and cell proliferation, and promoted more apoptosis compared with RT or Vinorelbine treatment alone. Vinorelbine improved HCC tumor response to standard irradiation with no increase in toxicity. HCC is prevalent in less developed parts of the world and is mostly unresectable on presentation. Vinorelbine and conventional radiotherapy are cost-effective, well-established modalities of cancer treatment that are readily available. Therefore, this strategy can potentially address an unmet clinical need, warranting further investigation in early-phase clinical trials.

CIK cell cytotoxicity is a predictive biomarker for CIK cell immunotherapy in postoperative patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Adjuvant cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cell immunotherapy has shown potential in improving the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after curative resection. However, whether an individual could obtain survival benefit from CIK cell treatment remains unknown. In the present study, we focused on the characteristics of CIK cells and aimed to identify the best predictive biomarker for adjuvant CIK cell treatment in patients with HCC after surgery. This study included 48 patients with HCC treated with postoperative adjuvant CIK cell immunotherapy. The phenotype activity and cytotoxic activity of CIK cells were determined by flow cytometry and xCELLigence™ Real-Time Cell Analysis (RTCA) system, respectively. Correlation analysis revealed that the cytotoxic activity of CIK cells was significantly negative correlated with the percentage of CD3+ CD4+ cell subsets, but significantly positive correlated with CD3-CD56+ and CD3+ CD56+ cell subsets. Survival analysis showed that there were no significant associations between patients' prognosis and the phenotype of CIK cells. By contrast, there was statistically significant improvement in recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) for patients with high cytotoxic activity of CIK cells as compared with those with low cytotoxic activity of CIK cells. Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that CIK cell cytotoxicity was an independent prognostic factor for RFS and OS. In conclusion, a high cytotoxic activity of CIK cells can serve as a valuable biomarker for adjuvant CIK cell immunotherapy of HCC patients after surgery.

Radiofrequency ablation vs. surgical resection for resectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant challenge. Although radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has emerged as a popular therapeutic option for patients with resectable HCC, whether it can achieve comparable survival outcomes compared with surgical resection (RES) remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to conduct a meta-analysis to assess the survival outcomes of RFA vs. RES in patients with early resectable HCC tumors. A Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library search was performed for data published between January 2000 and February 2018. A meta-analysis of the efficacy of RFA compared with RES for HCC was subsequently performed, with particular emphasis on overall survival and disease-free survival (DFS) rates. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the random-effects model. In the present study, a total of 13,147 patients with HCC were included; of which, 6,727 were treated with RFA and 6,420 were treated with RES. The overall survival rates (OR_1-year, 0.757, 95% CI, 0.578–0.989; OR_3-year, 0.530, 95% CI, 0.401–0.700; OR_5-year, 0.566, 95% CI, 0.423–0.758) and the DRS rates (OR_1-year, 0.569, 95% CI, 0.456–0.711; OR_3-year, 0.418, 95% CI, 0.267–0.653; OR_5-year, 0.374, 95% CI, 0.231–0.606) of RES were significantly higher than those of RFA. The results indicate that RES is superior to RFA for promoting the survival of selected patients with resectable HCC. However, future randomized controlled trials are required to investigate the specific relevance of these modalities in the treatment of HCC.

Surgical Resection plus Radiofrequency Ablation versus Radical Surgery for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of surgical resection plus radiofrequency ablation (SR-RFA) for multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with 2 or 3 nodules compared with surgical resection (SR).

Method: We retrospectively evaluated 824 consecutive HCC patients (SR, n = 754; SR-RFA, n = 70) from January 2009 to December 2015 and performed propensity score matching (PSM) to adjust for patient imbalances at a ratio of 1:4.

Results: At baseline, patients in the SR-RFA group had a smaller tumour size and worse liver function (including more ascites, a higher total bilirubin level, and a longer prothrombin time) than patients in the SR group. However, the two groups had similar overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates (P = 0.209 and P = 0.332). The local recurrence rate of the SR-RFA group was significantly higher than that of the SR group (25.71% and 14.32%, P = 0.011). More patients in the SR-RFA group had postoperative complications (P = 0.003). In the propensity model, there was no intergroup difference in OS or RFS (P = 0.229 and P = 0.311, respectively).

Conclusion: SR-RFA provides a similar long-term survival to that on SR in HCC patients with 2 or 3 nodules, and its application should be carefully considered.

Developments and perspectives of laparoscopic liver resection in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) was introduced in the early 1990s, initially for partial resection of the anterolateral segments, from where it has expanded in a stepwise fashion. Movement restriction makes bleeding control demanding. Managing pneumoperitoneum pressure with inflow control can inhibit venous bleeding and create a dry surgical field for easier hemostasis. Since the lack of overview leads to disorientation, simulation and navigation with imaging studies have become important. Improved direct access to the liver inside the rib cage can be obtained in LLR, reducing destruction of the associated structures and decreasing the risk of refractory ascites and liver failure, especially in patients with a cirrhotic liver. Although LLR can be performed as bridging therapy to transplantation for severe cirrhosis, its impact on expanding the indications of liver resection (LR) and the consequent survival benefits must be evaluated. For repeat LR, LLR is advantageous by producing fewer adhesions and reducing the need for adhesiolysis. The laparoscopic approach facilitates better access in a small operative field between adhesions. Further evaluations are needed for repeat anatomical resection, since alterations of the anatomy and surrounding scars and adhesions of major vessels have a larger impact.

Early Morbidity and Mortality after Minimally Invasive Liver Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: a Propensity-Score Matched Comparison with Open Resection

BACKGROUND

The impact of minimally invasive surgery on the short-term outcomes of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing liver resection remains poorly defined.

METHODS

The ACS-NSQIP-targeted hepatectomy database was used to identify patients who underwent liver resection for HCC during 2014-2016. A 1:1 propensity score matching was created between patients who underwent open (OLR) vs. minimally invasive liver resection (MILR) based on age, ASA score, liver resection type, liver texture, and stage of disease. The short-term outcomes of patients undergoing OLR vs. MILR were compared.

RESULTS

Among a total cohort of 1816 patients, propensity score matching resulted in 728 liver resections: 364 (50%) OLR and 364 (50%) MILR. Overall morbidity (29% vs. 23%, P = 0.04) was greater among patients undergoing OLR compared with MILR, whereas mortality did not differ between the two approaches (2% vs 1%, P = 0.57). MILR was associated with significant reductions in hospital LOS (6 vs. 4 days, P < 0.0001) but no difference in operative time (188 vs. 171 min, P = 0.13). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, age ≥ 65 (OR:1.6, 95%CI: 1.1-2.3, P = 0.0065), ASA class ≥ 3 (OR:2.7, 95%CI: 1.5-4.7, P = 0.0003), preoperative blood transfusion (OR:9.7, 95%CI: 1.06-90.3, P = 0.04), T ≥ 3 (OR:1.9, 95%CI: 1.09-3.4, P = 0.02), operative time > 200 min (OR:1.8, 95%CI: 1.2-2.5, P = 0.0011), and OLR (OR:1.4, 95%CI: 1.002-2.03, P = 0.04) were associated with increased odds of overall morbidity.

CONCLUSIONS

MILR for HCC is associated with a shorter hospital LOS and reduced postoperative complication rates, even after controlling for important patient and clinicopathologic confounders, compared to OLR. Efforts to expand the use of MILR for hepatobiliary surgery are warranted.

Role of Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

The role of radiotherapy in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has evolved over the past few decades with the advancement of technology and improved imaging. Radiotherapy can offer high local control rates in unresectable HCC, including cases with major vascular involvement, and can provide a modality to help bridge patients to potentially curative resection or transplantation. In metastatic cases, radiotherapy can provide good palliation. This review focuses on the common radiotherapy treatment modalities used for HCC, provides outcome comparisons of these radiotherapy techniques to outcomes with other treatment modalities for HCC, and highlights the discrepancy of the role of radiotherapy in HCC amongst the current available treatment guidelines.

Effects of terlipressin infusion during hepatobiliary surgery on systemic and splanchnic haemodynamics, renal function and blood loss: a double-blind, randomized clinical trial

Background

Terlipressin, in general, is a vasopressor which acts via V1 receptors. Its infusion elevates mean blood pressure and can reduce bleeding which has a splanchnic origin. The primary outcome was to assess the impact of intraoperative terlipressin infusion on portal venous pressure during hepatobiliary surgery; the 2ry outcomes included effects upon systemic hemodynamics, estimated blood loss, and postoperative renal functions.

Methods

This prospective randomized study involved 50 patients undergoing hepatobiliary surgery who were randomly and equally allocated into terlipressin group, or a control group. The terlipressin group received an initial bolus dose of (1 mg over 30 min) followed by a continuous infusion of 2 μg/kg/h throughout the procedure and gradually weaned over the first four postoperative hours, whereas the control group received the same volumes of normal saline. The portal venous pressure changes were measured directly through a portal vein angiocatheter.

Results

Portal pressure was significantly reduced over time in the terlipressin group only (from 17.88 ± 7.32 to 15.96 ± 6.55 mmHg, p < .001). Mean arterial blood pressure was significantly higher in the terlipressin group. Estimated blood loss was significantly higher in the control group than the terlipressin group (1065.7 ± 202 versus 842 ± 145.5 ml; p = 0.004), and the units of packed RBCs transfused were significantly higher in the control group ((0–2) versus (0–4) p = 0.003). There was no significant difference between groups as regards the incidence of acute kidney injury.

Conclusion

Intraoperative infusion of terlipressin during hepatobiliary surgery was shown to improve intraoperative portal hemodynamics with subsequent reduction in blood loss.

Trial registration

Clinical trial number and registry URL: Trial registration number: NCT02718599. Name of registry: ClinicalTrials.gov. URL of registry: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02718599. Date of registration: March 2016. Date of enrolment of the first participant to the trial: April 2016.

Two-dimensional ultrasound-computed tomography image registration for monitoring percutaneous hepatic intervention

PURPOSE

Deformable registration of ultrasound (US) and contrast enhanced computed tomography (CECT) images are essential for quantitative comparison of ablation boundaries and dimensions determined using these modalities. This comparison is essential as stiffness-based imaging using US has become popular and offers a nonionizing and cost-effective imaging modality for monitoring minimally invasive microwave ablation procedures. A sensible manual registration method is presented that performs the required CT-US image registration.

METHODS

The two-dimensional (2D) virtual CT image plane that corresponds to the clinical US B-mode was obtained by "virtually slicing" the 3D CT volume along the plane containing non-anatomical landmarks, namely points along the microwave ablation antenna. The initial slice plane was generated using the vector acquired by rotating the normal vector of the transverse (i.e., xz) plane along the angle subtended by the antenna. This plane was then further rotated along the ablation antenna and shifted along with the direction of normal vector to obtain similar anatomical structures, such as the liver surface and vasculature that is visualized on both the CT virtual slice and US B-mode images on 20 patients. Finally, an affine transformation was estimated using anatomic and non-anatomic landmarks to account for distortion between the colocated CT virtual slice and US B-mode image resulting in a final registered CT virtual slice. Registration accuracy was measured by estimating the Euclidean distance between corresponding registered points on CT and US B-mode images.

RESULTS

Mean and SD of the affine transformed registration error was 1.85 ± 2.14 (mm), computed from 20 coregistered data sets.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate the ability to obtain 2D virtual CT slices that are registered to clinical US B-mode images. The use of both anatomical and non-anatomical landmarks result in accurate registration useful for validating ablative margins and comparison to electrode displacement elastography based images.

Activation of MET promotes resistance to sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma cells via the AKT/ERK1/2-EGR1 pathway

Sorafenib is an oral multikinase inhibitor that has become an established therapeutic approach in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the benefit of sorafenib in clinical therapy is often affected by drug resistance. Therefore, it is important to explore the mechanisms underlying sorafenib resistance and to develop individualized therapeutic strategies for coping with this problem. In this study, we found that addition of HGF to sorafenib-treated HCC cells activated MET and re-stimulated the downstream AKT and ERK1/2 pathways. Thereby, restored sorafenib-treated HCC cells proliferation, migration and invasion ability, and rescued cells from apoptosis. In addition, we found that HGF treatment of HCC cells induced early growth response protein (EGR1) expression, which is involved in sorafenib resistance. Importantly, the HGF rescued effect in sorafenib-treated HCC cells could be abrogated by inhibiting MET activation with PHA-665752 or by downregulating EGR1 expression with small interfering RNA (siRNA). Therefore, inhibition of the HGF/MET pathway may improve response to sorafenib in HCC, and combination therapy should be further investigated.

Prospects for immunotherapy as a novel therapeutic strategy against hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly aggressive malignant disease, with a poor clinical prognosis. Many standard therapies are often considered for HCC treatment today; however, these conventional therapies often fail to achieve sufficiently effective clinical results. Today, HCC therapy is set to undergo a major revolution, owing to rapid developments in cancer immunotherapy, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Cancer immunotherapy is a novel and promising treatment strategy that differs significantly from conventional therapies in its approach to achieve antitumor effects. In fact, many cancer immunotherapies have been tested worldwide and shown to be effective against various types of cancer; HCC is no exception to this trend. For example, we identified a specific cancer antigen called glypican-3 (GPC3) and performed clinical trials of GPC3-targeted peptide vaccine immunotherapy in patients with HCC. Here, we present an overview of the immune mechanisms for development and progression of HCC, our GPC3-based immunotherapy, and immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy against HCC. Finally, we discuss the future prospects of cancer immunotherapy against HCC. We believe that this review and discussion of cancer immunotherapy against HCC could stimulate more interest in this promising strategy for cancer therapy and help in its further development.

Mechanical strength of biliary defect closure after topical sealing: Comparison of four sealants in a porcine model

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

Biliary leakage is a potential complication of liver resection and is still a concern. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of four routinely used sealants in preventing bile leakage under pressure from an induced perforation of the gallbladder in a porcine model.

METHODS

Forty Landrace pigs were randomly assigned to one of five groups. These included a control group (n = 8) and one group each for the sealants TachoSil®, TissuCol Duo®, Coseal®, and FloSeal® (n = 8 per group). In the control group, the perforation was left unsealed. To evaluate the biliostatic potential of the sealants, we measured the pressure that was needed to induce leakage (mmHg) and the gallbladder volume (cc) at the time of leakage in each group.

RESULTS

A significantly higher mean pressure was required to induce leakage in the sealant groups compared with the control group. However, the biliostatic effects were heterogeneous among the sealant groups. Sealants with the highest to lowest effectiveness were TachoSil, Coseal, TissuCol, and FloSeal. The mean gallbladder volume at the time of leakage also varied between sealant groups.

CONCLUSION

Biliostatic properties are markedly improved by the use of modern sealants compared with using no sealant. However, the advantages and disadvantages of using sealants should be carefully considered in each clinical situation. The effectiveness of the sealants should be evaluated in chronic and clinical studies.

Sustained efficacy of adjuvant immunotherapy with cytokine-induced killer cells for hepatocellular carcinoma: an extended 5-year follow-up

Our earlier multicenter randomized controlled trial showed that adjuvant immunotherapy with cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells resulted in longer recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) as well in patients who received curative treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the present study, we determined if the efficacy of CIK cell therapy continued after end of repeated CIK cell injections. We performed a follow-up study of our preceding trial. We included 226 patients: 114 patients in the immunotherapy group (injection of 6.4 × 109 CIK cells, 16 times during 60 weeks) and 112 patients in the control group (no treatment) after potentially curative treatment for HCC. In total, 162 patients (89 of the immunotherapy group and 73 of controls) underwent an extended follow-up for 60 months after randomization of the last patient. The primary endpoint was RFS, and secondary endpoints included OS. During follow-up time of median 68.5 months (interquartile range 45.0-82.2 months), the immunotherapy group continued to show a significantly lower risk of recurrence or death [hazard ratio (HR) 0.67; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.48-0.94; P = 0.009 by one-sided log-rank test]. At 5 years, RFS rate was 44.8% in the immunotherapy group and 33.1% in the control group. The risk of all-cause death was also lower in the immunotherapy group compared to the control group (HR 0.33; 95% CI 0.15-0.76; P = 0.006). In patients who received curative treatment for HCC, the significant improvement in RFS and OS as a result of adjuvant CIK cell immunotherapy lasted over 5 years without boosting.

Safety and Short-Term Efficacy of Irreversible Electroporation and Allogenic Natural Killer Cell Immunotherapy Combination in the Treatment of Patients with Unresectable Primary Liver Cancer

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the safety and short-term efficacy of irreversible electroporation (IRE) combined with allogenic natural killer (NK) cell immunotherapy in the treatment of patients with unresectable primary liver cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between October 2015 and December 2016, 40 patients were enrolled and randomly allocated to either the IRE group (n = 22) or the IRE-NK group (n = 18). All adverse events experienced by the patients were recorded; the changes in tumor biomarkers [AFP, CA 19-9, circulating tumor cells (CTCs)], lymphocyte number and function, quality of life, clinical response, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were assessed.

RESULTS

Patients who received combination therapy exhibited significantly longer median PFS and OS than who just received IRE (PFS 15.1 vs. 10.6 months, P < 0.05, OS 17.9 vs. 23.2 months, P < 0.05). The combination therapy of IRE and NK cell immunotherapy significantly reduced CTCs and increased immune function and Karnofsky performance status.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest a novel, promising combination therapy using IRE and allogenic NK cell immunotherapy. Larger clinical trials are required to confirm these conclusions.

Microwave-Assisted Ablation Improves the Prognosis of Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Liver Resection

Objective:

We evaluated microwave-assisted liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Patients and Methods:

We enrolled 79 patients in this study, and microwave ablation was used for liver resection. Patients were randomized to group A (50.6%; n = 40), liver resection without microwave ablation, or group B (49.4%; n = 39), liver resection performed using microwave ablation. Data were analyzed for statistical significance.

Results:

Of the participants enrolled, 60 were male, and the participant’s average age was 59.32 ± 10.34 years. The mean overall tumor diameter was 4.39 (2.00) cm, and this did not differ between groups. Intraoperative blood loss in group B was significantly less than that in group A (P < .001). No differences were reported between the 2 groups regarding surgical time (P = .914), postoperative morbidity (P = .718), and late postoperative complications (P = .409). Postoperative drainage volume for group B was less than that of group A on the first (P = .005) and third (P = .019) day after surgery. The time of postoperative hospitalization in group B was significantly shorter than that in group A (P < .001). Local recurrence was noted in 18.99% of cases (n = 15) in group B, which is less than that of group A (P = 0.047), while in group B distant metastasis is less but not statistically significant (P = 0.061). The 1-year and 3-year cumulative survival rates were 57% and 93.7%, respectively.

Conclusions:

The curative effects of liver resection combined with microwave ablation during operation are superior to only liver resection in the treatment of primary liver cancer.

Antrodia cinnamomea boosts the anti-tumor activity of sorafenib in xenograft models of human hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been recognized worldwide as one of the major causes of cancer death. The medicinal fungus Antrodia cinnamomea (A. cinnamomea) has been served as a functional food for liver protection. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential activity of A. cinnamomea extracts as a safe booster for the anticancer activity of sorafenib, a multi-kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of HCC. The biologically active triterpenoids in the ethanolic extracts of A. cinnamomea (EAC) were initially identified by HPLC/LC/MS then the different extracts and sorafenib were assessed in vitro and in vivo. EAC could effectively sensitize HCC cells to low doses of sorafenib, which was perceived via the ability of the combination to repress cell viability and to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in HCC cells. The ability of EAC to enhance sorafenib activity was mediated through targeting mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, modulating cyclin proteins expression and inhibiting cancer cell invasion. Moreover, the proposed combination significantly suppressed ectopic tumor growth in mice with high safety margins compared to single-agent treatment. Thus, this study highlights the advantage of combining EAC with sorafenib as a potential adjuvant therapeutic strategy against HCC.

Laparoscopic liver resection for the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and chronic liver disease

Liver resection (LR), liver transplantation (LT), transarterial chemoembolization, and local ablation therapy are the treatment options for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although LR, LT and local ablation therapy (only for small tumor) provide the best hope for cure, most patients with HCC have also chronic liver disease (CLD) backgrounds, including HCV-liver cirrhosis. Therefore, they are at high risk for development of postoperative complications-sometimes fatal-and metachronous multicentric recurrent tumors occurring from the preneoplastic CLD background. Appropriate treatment is selected for HCC patients, on the combined evaluations of tumor condition and liver function. However, not small number of patients cannot undergo any treatment option due to poor liver function and/or complicated tumor condition. After repeated treatments, it can happen more often. It is thought that the features of laparoscopic LR could lead to the expansion of the LR indication to those patients, in the settings of severe CLD, repeat LR and bridging to LT. In our experience, Child-Pugh (CP) score is one of the promising candidates as a selection indicator which correlates well to our indication criteria of surface small laparoscopic LR to severe CLD patients, patient's performance status, and prognosis. Portal hypertension should be also counted in the selection criteria.

Prognostic value of CpG island methylator phenotype among hepatocellular carcinoma patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP), characterized by multiple genes are concurrently methylated, has been reported to be associated with the prognosis of colorectal cancer. However, current studies have not explored the relationship between CIMP status with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) clinicopathological features.

METHODS

To assess these associations, we performed a comprehensive search of PubMed, EMBASE, and the Web of Science to identify all eligible studies. Publication bias was tested using Begg's and Egger's test.

RESULTS

Seven studies that involved 568 HCC patients (379 CIMP+ and 189 CIMP-) were eligible for inclusion in our study. CIMP+ in HCC was significantly associated with distant metastasis (OR = 4.28, 95% CI = 2.57-7.10, P < 0.00001, heterogeneity = 0.888), TNM tumor stage IIII + IV (OR = 5.73, 95% CI = 3.70-8.88, P < 0.0001, heterogeneity = 0.449), cirrhosis (OR = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.33,4.83, P = 0.005, heterogeneity = 0.121) and a higher level of AFP (>300 ng/ml) than those with CIMP- (OR = 2.63, 95% CI = 1.79,3.89, P < 0.00001, heterogeneity = 0.432). Moreover, CIMP+ was associated with an unfavorable overall survival (OS) (HR = 3.02, 95% CI = 1.60-5.70, P < 0.001, heterogeneity = 0.251) and a disease-free survival (DFS) (HR = 2.80, 95% CI = 1.79-4.37, P < 0.001, heterogeneity = 0.603).

CONCLUSION

CIMP is independently associated with significantly worse prognosis in HCC patients. Examination of CIMP status may be useful for identifying patients who are at higher risk for disease progression.

Metformin Enhances the Effect of Regorafenib and Inhibits Recurrence and Metastasis of Hepatic Carcinoma After Liver Resection via Regulating Expression of Hypoxia Inducible Factors 2α (HIF-2α) and 30 kDa HIV Tat-Interacting Protein (TIP30)

Background

Regorafenib (RGF) is the drug of choice for treating hepatic carcinoma (HCC), but the drug has drawbacks due to resistance and associated adverse effects. Thus, it becomes crucial to understand the causal ‘map’ of the resistance conferred by RGF, so that its clinical potency can be amplified, resulting in enhanced efficacy with reduced adverse effects. Metformin (MTF) has been reported to target NLK (Nemo-like kinase) to inhibit non-small lung cancer cells. Based on the literature, the present investigation was carried out to reveal the effect of RGF and MTF, with an expectation that MTF can synergize therapeutic potential as well reduce chances of resistance.

Material/Methods

Protein expression of hypoxia inducible factors (HIF)-2α, 30 kDa HIV Tat-interacting protein (TIP30), E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and pAMPK were assessed by Western blot analysis. RGF and MTF were exposed to MHCC97H cell and proliferation was quantified by assay of cell viability. Gene silencing and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay were done to reveal the relationship between TIP30 and HIF-2α. The impact of RGF and MTF together on postoperative recurrence and lung metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma was investigated using tumor engrafted mice after administration of MTF and RGF once daily for 35 days. Immunohistochemistry was used to reveal CD31, Ki67, and TUNEL.

Results

The results suggested MTF-RGF combination lowered expression of HIF-2α gene silencing and suggested increased TIP30 after reduction of HIF-2α. The chromatin immunoprecipitation study indicated that under hypoxia, HIF-2α could bind with TIP30 promoter. Cell number quantification (CCK8), viable cell count, and apoptosis data (using Annexin V-FITC) indicated co-administration of RGF and MTF reduced cell proliferation, encouraging cell apoptosis, and reduced epithelial-mesenchymal transition course. Thus, in orthotopic mice, the RGF-MTF combination exhibited substantial reduction of HCC in lung metastasis and postoperative relapse.

Conclusions

MTF can enhance the potential of RGF and inhibit the recurrence and metastasis of HCC after postoperative liver section by regulating the levels of TIP30 and HIF-2α.

Multivariate association analysis with somatic mutation data

Somatic mutations are the driving forces for tumor development, and recent advances in cancer genome sequencing have made it feasible to evaluate the association between somatic mutations and cancer-related traits in large sample sizes. However, despite increasingly large sample sizes, it remains challenging to conduct statistical analysis for somatic mutations, because the vast majority of somatic mutations occur at very low frequencies. Furthermore, cancer is a complex disease and it is often accompanied by multiple traits that reflect various aspects of cancer; how to combine the information of these traits to identify important somatic mutations poses additional challenges. In this article, we introduce a statistical approach, named as SOMAT, for detecting somatic mutations associated with multiple cancer-related traits. Our approach provides a flexible framework for analyzing continuous, binary, or a mixture of both types of traits, and is statistically powerful and computationally efficient. In addition, we propose a data-adaptive procedure, which is grid-search free, for effectively combining test statistics to enhance statistical power. We conduct an extensive study and show that the proposed approach maintains correct type I error and is more powerful than existing approaches under the scenarios considered. We also apply our approach to an exome-sequencing study of liver tumor for illustration.

A prospective randomized study comparing radiofrequency ablation and hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma

Purpose

Although there are several prospective clinical studies comparing radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and hepatic resection (HR) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, there are few trials that have been performed in strictly homogeneous patients.

Methods

Patients who were newly diagnosed with a solitary hepatocellular carcinoma were randomized to the HR or RFA group. Inclusion criteria were as follows: age ≥ 20 years but ≤ 70 years, Child-Pugh class A, maximal diameter of the tumor ≥ 2 cm but ≤ 4 cm, no previous treatment history, and platelet count > 80,000/mm³.

Results

Although the study was early terminated, 29 and 34 patients were enrolled in the HR and RFA groups, respectively, and prospectively followed on an intention-to-treat basis. The 5-year overall survival rates were 83.4% and 86.2% in the HR and RFA groups, respectively, which were not significantly different (P = 0.812 by log-rank, P = 0.990 by Breslow). The 3- and 5-year disease-free survival rates in the HR group were significantly superior to those in the RFA group (66.7%, 44.4% vs. 44.1%, 31.2%, P = 0.071 by log-rank, P = 0.023 by Breslow). Intrahepatic local recurrence tended to develop more frequently in the RFA group (P = 0.042), while the frequency of intrahepatic distant and extrahepatic recurrence was similar bet ween the 2 groups. There were no significant differences in the frequency and severity of complications between the 2 groups.

Conclusion

HR was significantly superior to RFA in terms of disease-free survival; however, the overall survival was excellent in both groups.

Liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma: personal experiences in a series of 1330 consecutive cases in China

BACKGROUND

Liver resection to treat early stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is widely practised but surgery for intermediate and advanced stages of HCC is not included in the treatment algorithm of the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer, which has been adopted in official guidelines; nevertheless, resection beyond early stages is frequently undertaken and documented.

METHODS

Between January 2001 and December 2014, all the HCC patients who underwent liver resection for the first time by Dr Yiqun Yan and his surgical team were enrolled. Clinical data were prospectively collected as well as the follow-up results.

RESULTS

A total of 1330 consecutive patients were included in the study, of which 452 (34.0%) suffered complications after liver resection with a mortality of 0.7%. The overall survival rates at 1-, 3- and 5-year were 91.2, 63.3 and 36.9%, respectively, while the disease-free survival rates at 1-, 3- and 5-year were 67.7, 33.7 and 13.8%, respectively. Cases were classified into Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage A (548 patients, 41.2%), stage B (613 patients, 46.1%) and stage C (169 patients, 12.7%). The overall survival time at 5-year were 49.8, 32.8 and 10.6%, respectively, in patients with stage A, B and C tumours.

CONCLUSION

Liver resection to treat HCC is safe in patients with preserved liver function and good functional status. Liver resection should be the first line therapy in patients with single (regardless of tumour size) and resectable 2-3 tumours as well as vascular tumour thrombus if the tumour thrombus does not invade the major trunks.

Impaired Value of 99m Tc-GSA Scintigraphy as an Independent Risk Factor for Posthepatectomy Liver Failure in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) was recently defined with the corresponding recommendations as follows: grade A, no change in clinical management; grade B, clinical management with noninvasive treatment; and grade C, clinical management with invasive treatment. In this study, we identified the risk factors for grade B and C PHLF in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS

Of 339 HCC patients who underwent curative hepatic resection, 218 were included for analysis. The LHL15 index (uptake ratio of the liver to that of the liver and heart at 15 min) was measured by 99m Tc-GSA (99m technetium-labelled galactosyl human serum albumin); remnant LHL15 was calculated as LHL15 × [1 - (resected liver weight - tumor volume)/whole liver volume without tumor].

RESULTS

A total of 163 patients were classified as having no PHLF, whereas 17, 37, and 1 patient had PHLF grade A, B, and C, respectively. There were significant differences in indocyanine green R15, serum albumin, prothrombin time, Child-Pugh classification, LHL15 and remnant LHL15 between patients with grades B/C PHLF and patients with grade A or no PHLF. Only remnant LHL15 was identified as an independent risk factor for grades B/C PHLF (p = 0.023), with a cut-off value of 0.755.

CONCLUSIONS

Remnant LHL15 was an independent risk factor for grades B/C PHLF. Patients with impaired remnant LHL15 value of <0.755 should be carefully monitored for PHLF.

(-)-Oleocanthal inhibits growth and metastasis by blocking activation of STAT3 in human hepatocellular carcinoma

We explored the anti-cancer capacity of (-)-oleocanthal in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). (-)-Oleocanthal inhibited proliferation and cell cycle progression and induced apoptosis in HCC cells in vitro and suppressed tumor growth in an orthotopic HCC model. (-)-Oleocanthal also inhibited HCC cell migration and invasion in vitro and impeded HCC metastasis in an in vivo lung metastasis model. ( )-Oleocanthal acted by inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through downregulation Twist, which is a direct target of STAT3. (-)-Oleocanthal also reduced STAT3 nuclear translocation and DNA binding activity, ultimately downregulating its downstream effectors, including the cell cycle protein Cyclin D1, the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and survivin, and the invasion-related protein MMP 2. Overexpression of constitutively active STAT3 partly reversed the anti cancer effects of (-)-oleocanthal, which inhibited STAT3 activation by decreasing the activities of JAK1 and JAK2 and increasing the activity of SHP-1. These data suggest that (-)-oleocanthal may be a promising candidate for HCC treatment.

RAM score is an effective predictor for early mortality and recurrence after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Liver resection had been regarded as a standard treatment for primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, early mortality and recurrence after surgery were still of major concern. RAM (Risk Assessment for early Mortality) scoring system is a newly developed tool for assessing early mortality after hepatectomy for HCC. In this study, we compared RAM scoring system with ALBI and MELD scores for their capability of predicting short-term outcome.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who were treated with hepatectomy at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital between 1986 and 2015. Their clinical characteristics and perioperative variables were collected. We applied RAM, albumin-bilirubin (ALBI), and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scoring systems to predict early mortality and early recurrence in HCC patients after surgery. We investigated the discriminative power of each scoring system by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under the ROC curve (AUC).

RESULTS

A total of 1935 patients (78% male) who underwent liver resection for HCC were included in this study. The median follow-up period was 41.9 months. One hundred and forty-nine patients (7.7%) died within 6 months after hepatectomy (early mortality). All the three scoring systems were effective predictor for early mortality, with higher score indicating higher risk of early mortality (AUC of RAM = 0.723, p < 0.001; AUC of ALBI = 0.682, p < 0.001; AUC of MELD = 0.590, p = 0.002). Cox regression multivariate analysis demonstrated that the RAM class was the most significant independent predictor of early mortality after surgery, while MELD grade failed to discriminatively predict early mortality. In addition to early mortality, the RAM score was also predictive of early recurrence in HCC after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that RAM score is an effective and user-friendly bedside scoring system to predict early mortality and early recurrence after hepatectomy for HCC. In addition, the predictive capability of RAM score is superior to ALBI and MELD scores. Further study is warranted to validate our findings.

Lambda phage-based vaccine induces antitumor immunity in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a difficult to treat tumor with a poor prognosis. Aspartate β-hydroxylase (ASPH) is a highly conserved enzyme overexpressed on the cell surface of both murine and human HCC cells.

METHODS

We evaluated therapeutic effects of nanoparticle lambda (λ) phage vaccine constructs against ASPH expressing murine liver tumors. Mice were immunized before and after subcutaneous implantation of a syngeneic BNL HCC cell line. Antitumor actively was assessed by generation of antigen specific cellular immune responses and the identification of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes.

RESULTS

Prophylactic and therapeutic immunization significantly delayed HCC growth and progression. ASPH-antigen specific CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes were identified in the spleen of tumor bearing mice and cytotoxicity was directed against ASPH expressing BNL HCC cells. Furthermore, vaccination generated antigen specific Th1 and Th2 cytokine secretion by immune cells. There was widespread necrosis with infiltration of CD3+ and CD8+ T cells in HCC tumors of λ phage vaccinated mice compared to controls. Moreover, further confirmation of anti-tumor effects on ASPH expressing tumor cell growth were obtained in another murine syngeneic vaccine model with pulmonary metastases.

CONCLUSIONS

These observations suggest that ASPH may serve as a highly antigenic target for immunotherapy.

Intensity-modulated radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: dosimetric and clinical results

Since the introduction of 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT), new radiotherapy techniques have expanded the indication of radiotherapy for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), from the hitherto palliative to a now curative-intent purpose. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), currently the most advanced radiotherapy technique, is considered an attractive option for the treatment of HCC, and is more widely applied because it can deliver a higher dose to the tumor than 3DCRT while sparing surrounding normal organs. However, the advantages and potential disadvantages of IMRT for treating HCC have not been fully established. This article deals with three different IMRT techniques, including static IMRT and volumetric modulated arc therapy using conventional multileaf collimator (MLC) mounted linear accelerators, and helical IMRT using binary MLC mounted helical tomotherapy machine. We review dosimetric and clinical studies for these IMRT techniques for the treatment of HCC.

Adjuvant immunotherapy with autologous dendritic cells for hepatocellular carcinoma, randomized phase II study

Our previous phase I/IIA study showed that autologous dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed with tumor-associated antigens are well tolerated in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this randomized, multicenter, open-label, phase II trial, we investigated the efficacy and safety of this DC-based adjuvant immunotherapy with 156 patients, who treated for HCC with no evidence of residual tumor after standard treatment modalities. Patients were randomly assigned to immunotherapy (n = 77; injection of 3 × 10⁷ DC cells, six times over 14 weeks) or control (n = 79; no treatment). The primary end point was recurrence-free survival (RFS), and the secondary endpoints were immune response and safety. The RFS between the immunotherapy and control groups was not significantly different (hazard ratio [HR], 0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.60-1.56; p = 0.90). However, post-hoc subgroup analyses revealed that DC immunotherapy significantly reduced the risk of tumor recurrence of non-radiofrequency ablation (non-RFA) group patients (n = 83, HR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.26-0.94; p = 0.03), whereas unexpectedly increased the risk of recurrence in RFA group (n = 61, p = 0.01). Tumor-specific immune responses were significantly enhanced (both p < 0.01) in the immunotherapy group. Baseline serum interleukin (IL)-15 was statistically correlated with RFS prolongation (HR, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.03-1.58; p = 0.001) within the immunotherapy groups. Overall adverse events were more frequent in the immunotherapy group (p < 0.001) but were mainly mild to moderate in severity. In conclusion, adjuvant immunotherapy with DC vaccine reduces the risk of tumor recurrence in HCC patients who underwent standard treatment modalities other than RFA. Baseline IL-15 might be a candidate biomarker for DC-based HCC immunotherapy.

Short-Term Results of Laparoscopic Radiofrequency Ablation Using a Multipolar System for Localized Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Multipolar radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is feasible for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for which a large ablative area is planned, and it imposes a light physical burden on patients. Multipolar RFA via the percutaneous approach is performed in the majority of cases, but the efficacy of multipolar RFA with a laparoscopic approach has rarely been studied. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of multipolar laparoscopic RFA (LRA) for localized HCC over the short term.

METHODS

From January 2014 to January 2016, 77 consecutive patients with 130 HCCs treated by multipolar LRA were assessed. One to three bipolar needle applicators were inserted under laparoscopic ultrasonography guidance, regardless of tumor location. We intended to achieve parallel insertions and no-touch ablation as much as possible.

RESULTS

The median size of the main tumor was 22 mm (range, 10-42 mm). The median follow-up time was 13.6 months (range, 3.1-24.8 months). In all cases, a sufficient ablative area was obtained as planned, without thermal injury of adjacent organs. During the follow-up period, all patients were alive with no local tumor progression, while intrahepatic recurrence distant from the primary site occurred in 7 patients. The 2-year local tumor progression-free survival rate and overall cancer-free survival rate were 100 and 81.6%, respectively. There were no procedural major complications caused prolonging the hospitalization, and all patients were discharged without subjective symptoms 4-7 days after LRA.

CONCLUSIONS

Multipolar LRA was efficacious in the treatment of localized HCCs by safely achieving a good ablative area.

The Safety and Efficacy of Irreversible Electroporation for Large Hepatocellular Carcinoma

This study aimed to investigate the safety and effectiveness of irreversible electroporation ablation for unresectable large liver cancer. Fourteen patients were enrolled: 8 with large hepatocellular carcinoma (tumor diameter: 5.1-11.5 cm) and 6 with medium hepatocellular carcinoma (tumor diameter: 3.0-4.1 cm). All patients received percutaneous irreversible electroporation ablation. Ablation time and the incidence of complications were assessed by a t test. Post-irreversible electroporation and regular contrast-enhanced computerized tomography scans were performed to investigate the effect of tumor size (large vs medium) on irreversible electroporation treatment efficacy; 4-table data were assessed using a Fisher exact test. The 14 patients completed irreversible electroporation ablation successfully. In the large hepatocellular carcinoma group, no major complications occurred in the perioperative period. Minor complications comprised bloating, hypokalemia, edema, low white blood cells, and blood clotting abnormalities. All complications were mild and improved after symptomatic treatment. The frequency of minor complications was not significantly different (P > .05) compared with the medium hepatocellular carcinoma group. The average follow-up time was 2.8 ± 2.1 months and complete ablation was achieved in 25% (2/8; residual = 75%). For the patients with medium hepatocellular carcinoma, the mean follow-up time was 4.3 ± 3.2 months; the rate of complete ablation was 66.6% (4/6; residual rate = 33.3%). The complete ablation rate was not statistically different between the 2 groups (P > .05). Irreversible electroporation ablation for unresectable large hepatocellular carcinoma is safe, with no major complications. Short-term efficacy is relatively good; however, long-term efficacy remains to be explored.

Impact of pathological features of primary hepatocellular carcinoma on the outcomes of intrahepatic recurrence management: single center experience from Southern Taiwan

BACKGROUND

Currently, there is no definitive management for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) intrahepatic recurrence (IHR) after primary resection (PR). The aim of this study was to analyze the outcomes of three modalities for patients who received curative PR and had IHR within the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) criteria.

METHODS

Between 2003 and 2010, patients with IHR after PR were treated with salvage liver transplantation (SLT), re-resection (RR) or local ablation (LA). Clinico-pathological features of primary tumor and recurrent HCC were analyzed to determine the risk factors that adversely affected overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS).

RESULTS

The study included 130 patients with subgroups of SLT (n = 25), RR (n = 31) and LA (n = 74). The 5-year DFS and OS were 75%, 31% and 17% and 80%, 60% and 58% respectively for each subgroup. SLT had a significantly better DFS than other modalities (p < 0.001). There was no difference in OS. In multivariate analysis, two variables adversely affected DFS: microvascular invasion in PR and not treating patients with SLT.

CONCLUSIONS

SLT provides better DFS for patients with IHR within the UCSF criteria. However, SLT failed to show the same advantage in OS.

Changes of HBV DNA After Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma and the Efficacy of Antiviral Treatment

Unlike systemic chemotherapy for hematological malignancies with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has only recently been reported to cause HBV reactivation and subsequent hepatitis. Most patients with HBV-related HCC have an underlying disease with liver fibrosis or cirrhosis, and TACE may potentially induce HBV reactivation and liver decompensation. Currently, there are no clinical guidelines for managing TACE-caused HBV reactivation. In this review, we summarize the changes of HBV status and liver function after TACE and the effect of antiviral treatment before, during, or after TACE.

Risk factors for early mortality after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma

Despite advances in surgical technique and medical care, liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a high-risk major operation. The present study evaluated the risk factors for early mortality after hepatectomy.We retrospectively reviewed records of patients undergoing liver resection for HCC between 1983 and 2015. A point score (Risk Assessment for early Mortality (RAM) score) for hepatectomy was developed based on multivariate analyses.Three hundred eighty-three patients (11.3%) expired within 6 months after the operation. Logistic regression analyses identified that operative duration >270 minutes and blood loss >800 cc were significant predictors of major surgical complications (P = 0.013 and 0.002, respectively). On the other hand, diabetes mellitus, albumin ≤3.5 g/dL, α-fetoprotein (AFP) >200 ng/mL, major surgical procedure, blood loss >800 cc, and major surgical complications were independent risk factors for early mortality after hepatectomy (P = 0.019, <0.001, <0.001, 0.006, 0.018, and <0.001, respectively). Risk Assessment for early Mortality score (RAM score) identified 3 subgroups of patients with distinct 6-month mortality rate, with Class III (score 10) having highest risk of early mortality.Our study demonstrated that meticulous surgical techniques to minimize blood loss and avoid prolonged operative time may help decrease the occurrence of major surgical complications. In addition to major surgical complications, diabetes mellitus, hypoalbuminemia, high AFP, massive blood loss, and major surgical procedure are also associated with early mortality after liver resection. Further study is warranted to validate the utility of RAM score as a bedside scoring system to predict postoperative outcome.

Exploring response signals and targets in aggressive unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: an analysis of targeted therapy phase 1 trials

PURPOSE

Patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have limited effective therapeutic options. Given the rapid advanced in drug development and emergence of novel agents, we analyzed the characteristics and outcomes of HCC patients treated on early phase trials with an emphasis on targeted therapies.

METHODS

We reviewed the records of consecutive HCC patients evaluated in the Phase I Clinical Trials Program at MD Anderson from March 2004.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine patients were not treated due to poor performance status (n = 22, 56%) and decision to pursue alternate therapies (n = 10, 27%). Of 61 treated patients (median age, 60 years; median prior therapies, 3), eight patients (13%) attained stable disease lasting ≥6 months; four (7%) had a partial response, mainly with anti-angiogenic or multikinase inhibitors. Median Phase I progression-free survival (PFS) was 2.6 months versus 4.4 months (p 0.019) and 4.1 months (p 0.27) for their first-, and second-line FDA-approved therapy. Molecular analysis showed frequent PTEN loss (10/19 patients, 53%) and P53 mutation (4/4 patients tested). On multivariate analysis, independent factors predicting shorter survival were white ethnicity/race (p 0.031), cirrhosis (p 0.016), and serum sodium (p 0.0013).

CONCLUSIONS

In our heavily-pretreated HCC patients, the phase I PFS was comparable to that of 2^nd-line therapy, highlighting a potential role for clinical trials after progression on first-line therapy. The response rate (SD>6 months/PR) of 20% was observed with early signals of activity in regimens combining inhibitors of angiogenesis, multiple kinases and mTOR with preliminary molecular analysis revealing prevalence of PTEN loss.

Percutaneous ethanol injection therapy is comparable to radiofrequency ablation in hepatocellular carcinoma smaller than 1.5 cm: A matched case-control comparative analysis

Although percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT) is best indicated for patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the survival advantage of PEIT needs confirmation in real-world practice. This study was approved by the institutional review board, and the informed consent was waived. The study included 535 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed early stage (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer [BCLC] 0 or A) HCC who underwent initially radiofrequency ablation (RFA) (n = 288) or PEIT (n = 247) from January 2005 to December 2010. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS) and the secondary outcome was time to progression (TTP). The longest diameters of tumors of the groups differed significantly and larger for RFA group than PEIT group (P < 0.001; 1.94 ± 0.65 cm vs 1.60 ± 0.50 cm, respectively). The 5-year OS rates were 72.2% in the RFA group and 67.4% in the PEIT group (P = 0.608). Even after propensity score matching, OS rates between the 2 groups were similar (5-year OS: 72.8% with RFA [n = 175] and 68.0% with PEIT [n = 175]) (P = 0.709). Moreover, in patients with the longest diameter of tumors (≤1.5 cm), multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the treatment modality was not a significant prognosticator for OS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.690; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.828-3.449; P = 0.149) and time to progression (HR, 1.160; 95% CI, 0.773-1.740; P = 0.474). PEIT and RFA show equal effectiveness in treating HCCs <1.5 cm in terms of OS and time to progression.