Liver metastases of malignant solitary fibrous tumor: the important role of immunohistochemistry in this rare entity

Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a rare neoplasm of mesenchymal origin that normally appears in the pleura; however, it has been described in other extrapleural locations. This tumor is rarely malignant and only a few cases of metastatic SFT have been described.

Liver Transplantation in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Long-Term Survival Results

BACKGROUND

Liver transplant (LT) is the treatment of choice for patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within the Milan criteria. Its applicability is limited by the risk for recurrence and the impact on waiting lists. We aimed to describe our results in patients with LT due to HCC and to evaluate its long-term survival outcomes.

METHODS

A retrospective observational study was carried out on all patients undergoing LT between January 2010 and December 2020.

RESULTS

Among 336 patients undergoing LT, 99 had early-stage HCC with underlying cirrhosis in 93.9%. Average time from HCC diagnosis to transplant was 161 days [99-248 days]. In this period, 91 (91.9%) patients received adjuvant treatment. Seven (7.1%) of 99 patients had HCC recurrence and 33 (33.3%) died during the follow-up period. In terms of survival, LT in patients with and without HCC resulted in 6-month survival of 87.9% and 84.3%, 1-year patient survival of 84.7% and 79.4%, 3-year survival rate of 71.2% and 70.6%, and 5-year survival rate of 64.6% and 65.3% (P = .493), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Based on Milan criteria as the benchmark for selecting HCC candidates to LT, both short- and long-term transplant survival rates achieved similar results when compared with patients without HCC. These results sustain transplantation as the treatment of choice for patients with cirrhosis and in the early stage of HCC.

Metalloproteinases 1 and 3 as Potential Biomarkers in Breast Cancer Development

Breast cancer continues to be one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality globally and was the leading cause of cancer death in women in Spain in 2020. Early diagnosis is one of the most effective methods to lower the incidence and mortality rates of breast cancer. The human metalloproteinases (MMP) mainly function as proteolytic enzymes degrading the extracellular matrix and plays important roles in most steps of breast tumorigenesis. This retrospective cohort study shows the immunohistochemical expression levels of MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, and MMP-9 in 154 women with breast cancer and 42 women without tumor disease. The samples of breast tissue are assessed using several tissue matrices (TMA). The percentages of staining (≤50%–>50%) and intensity levels of staining (weak, moderate, or intense) are considered. The immunohistochemical expression of the MMP-1-intensity (p = 0.043) and MMP-3 percentage (p = 0.018) and intensity, (p = 0.025) present statistically significant associations with the variable group (control–case); therefore, expression in the tumor tissue samples of these MMPs may be related to the development of breast cancer. The relationships between these MMPs and some clinicopathological factors in breast cancer are also evaluated but no correlation is found. These results suggest the use of MMP-1 and MMP-3 as potential biomarkers of breast cancer diagnosis.