1
|
Martins-Filho SN, Alves VAF, Wakamatsu A, Maeda M, Craig AJ, Assato AK, Villacorta-Martin C, D'Avola D, Labgaa I, Carrilho FJ, Thung SN, Villanueva A. A phenotypical map of disseminated hepatocellular carcinoma suggests clonal constraints in metastatic sites. Histopathology 2019; 74:718-730. [PMID: 30636011 DOI: 10.1111/his.13809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Access to tissue in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is limited compared to other malignancies, particularly at advanced stages. This has precluded a thorough characterisation of molecular drivers of HCC dissemination, particularly in relation to distant metastases. Biomarker assessment is restricted to early stages, and paired primary-metastatic comparisons between samples from the same patient are difficult. METHODS AND RESULTS We report the evaluation of 88 patients with HCC who underwent autopsy, including multiregional sampling of primary and metastatic sites totalling 230 nodules analysed. The study included morphological assessment, immunohistochemistry and mutation status of the TERT promoter, the most frequently mutated gene in HCC. We confirm a strong predilection of HCC for lung dissemination, including subclinical micrometastases (unrecognised during imaging and macroscopic examinations) in 30% of patients with disseminated disease. Size of dominant tumour nodule; multinodularity; macrovascular invasion; high histological, nuclear and architectural grades; and cellular crowding were associated with the presence of extrahepatic metastasis. Among the immunohistochemistry markers tested, metastatic nodules had significantly higher K19 and EpCAM expression than primary liver tumours. Morphological and immunohistochemical features showed that metastatic HCC could be traced back to the primary tumour, sometimes to a specific hepatic nodule. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests limited heterogeneity in metastatic sites compared to primary tumour sites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastiao N Martins-Filho
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Venancio A F Alves
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Laboratorio de Patologia do Fígado LIM 14, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alda Wakamatsu
- Laboratorio de Patologia do Fígado LIM 14, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Miho Maeda
- Liver Cancer Research Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Amanda J Craig
- Liver Cancer Research Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aline K Assato
- Laboratorio de Patologia do Fígado LIM 14, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos Villacorta-Martin
- Liver Cancer Research Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Delia D'Avola
- Liver Unit, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en el Área Temática de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (Ciberehd), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ismail Labgaa
- Liver Cancer Research Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Visceral Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Flair J Carrilho
- Departamento de Gastroenterologia, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Swan N Thung
- Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Augusto Villanueva
- Liver Cancer Research Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|