Comparison of Overall Survival between Transarterial Chemoembolization and Best Supportive Care in Intermediate- Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Objective: The Thailand management guideline allows the use of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for the treatment of intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with decompensated cirrhosis, whereas other guidelines do not. The aim of this study was to compare the overall survival between TACE and the best supportive care (BSC) in HCC patients with Child–Pugh score 5–8 cirrhosis and in subgroups with compensated cirrhosis (Child–Pugh score 5–6) and early decompensated cirrhosis (Child–Pugh score 7–8). Methods: This retrospective study comprised 118 patients with intermediate-stage HCC. The overall survival was compared between TACE and BSC using the Kaplan–Meier method. Results: The median overall survival time for all patients was 21.4 months in the TACE group and 8.2 months in the BSC group (P <0.001). In the subgroup analyses, the overall survival times for TACE and BSC were 26 months and 9 months, respectively, for compensated cirrhosis (P <0.001), and 14.5 months and 6.9 months, respectively, for early decompensated cirrhosis (P <0.001). In the Cox proportional-hazards model, TACE was an independent prognostic factor for prolonged overall survival in all patients [hazard ratio (HR) 0.29; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.17–0.49; P <0.001], patients with compensated cirrhosis (HR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.16–0.62; P <0.001), and patients with early decompensated cirrhosis (HR, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.061–0.44; P <0.001). Conclusion: TACE improves the overall survival in patients with intermediate-stage HCC and compensated or early decompensated cirrhosis.     

Health-Related Quality of Life of Patients with Intermediate Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Liver Resection or Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization

Background: The aim of our present study was to compare quality of life (QoL) between intermediate-stage(BCLC-B) HCC patients who had undergone either liver resection or transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE). Materials and Methods: A total of 102 intermediate-stage HCC patients participated in our study,including 58 who had undergone liver resection and 44 who had undergone TACE. Baseline demographiccharacteristics, tumor characteristics, and long-term outcomes, such as tumor recurrence, were compared andanalyzed. QoL was assessed using the Short Form (SF)-36 health survey questionnaire with the mental andphysical component scales (SF-36 MCS and PCS). This questionnaire was filled out at HCC diagnosis and 1,3, 6, 12, 24 months after surgery. Results: For the preoperative QoL evaluation, the 8 domains related to QoLwere comparable between the two groups. The PCS and MCS scores were significantly decreased in both theTACE and resection groups at1 month after surgery, and this decrease was greater in the resection group.These scores were significantly lower in the resection group compared with the TACE group (P<0.05). However,these differences disappeared at 3 and 6 months following surgery. One year after surgery, the resection groupshowed much higher PCS scores than the TACE patients (P=0.018), and at 2 years after surgery, the PCS andMCS scores for the resection group were significantly higher than those for the TACE group (P<0.05). Elevenpatients (19.0%) in the resection group and 17 (38.6%) in the TACE group suffered HCC recurrence (P<0.05).Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that tumor recurrence (HR=1.211, 95%CI: 1.086-1.415, P=0.012)was a significant risk factor for poorpostoperative QoL in the HCC patients.Conclusions: Due to its effectson reducing HCC recurrence and improving long-term QoL, liver resection should be the first choice for thetreatment of patients with intermediate-stage HCC.     

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

Background: Hepatic resection (HR) is not recommended for intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer criteria. We examined the prognostic factors of HR for intermediate-stage HCC and developed new HR criteria for intermediate-stage HCC. Methods: A total of 110 patients who underwent HR without any prior treatment for intermediate-stage HCC between January 2007 and December 2012 were enrolled at eight university hospitals. The outcomes and prognostic factors of HR were evaluated to develop new HR criteria. Results: In terms of tumor size and number, the most significant prognostic factors were within the up-to-seven criteria. Furthermore, serum albumin level ≥35 g/L and serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level     

沙利度胺联合肝动脉栓塞化疗治疗原发性肝癌随机对照研究

背景与目的:肝动脉栓塞化疗(transcatheter arterial chemoembolization,TACE)是治疗中晚期肝癌的重要手段.但是如何巩固TACE的效果,进一步提高中晚期肝癌的长期生存,是亟待研究与解决的重要问题.本研究旨在评价沙利度胺联合TACE治疗原发性肝癌的临床疗效,探索以介入治疗为主的中晚期肝癌的综合治疗模式.方法:以疾病进展时间、生存期为观察终点指标,采用前瞻性随机对照研究,对2004年8月至2006年8月入组的96例原发性肝癌患者随机分为治疗组和对照组,治疗组给予沙利度胺200 mg/d口服1～6个月联合TACE,对照组单纯行TACE.TACE用药选用吉西他滨0.4～1.6 g、奥沙利铂100～200 mg、氟尿嘧啶脱氧核苷0.5～1.0 g,栓塞剂选用碘化油、明胶海绵、无水乙醇.观察沙利度胺的不良反应,同时观察患者的生存期并作预后因素分析.结果:治疗组与对照组患者的中位生存期分别为18个月(95%可信区间12～24个月)、13个月(95%可信区间11～15个月),治疗组半年、1年、2年生存率为85.6%、66.2%、29.9%,对照组半年、1年、2年生存率为85.6%、57.2%、29.1%.治疗组与对照组中位疾病进展时间分别为181天(95%可信区间91～271天)和97天(95%可信区间33～161天),差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).剔除口服沙利度胺不足1个月的病例后,治疗组与对照组中位生存期分别为28个月(95%可信区间11～45个月)和13个月(95%可信区间8～18个月);治疗组半年、1年、2年生存率为97.0%、75.3%、51.0%,对照组分别为84.8%、54.9%、24.6%.Kaplan-Meier生存曲线和log-rank检验结果表明,两组生存期相比差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).治疗组5例(11.1%)发生严重皮疹,3例(6.7%)严重嗜睡.Cox回归分析表明,TACE次数是影响肝癌预后的独立因素.结论:口服沙利度胺联合TACE较单纯栓塞化疗能明显延长患者疾病进展时间与生存期,TACE次数与预后相关.     

Prognostic Impact of the Advanced Lung Cancer Inflammation Index (ALI) in Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with First Line Chemotherapy

Background: The advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI) has been reported to predict the overall survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, no previous studies have examined the prognostic significance of ALI in metastatic NSCLC treated with first line chemotherapy. The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between ALI and the prognosis of metastatic NSCLC treated with first line chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: Data of 109 metastatic NSCLC patients who had completed first line treatment with chemotherapy was collected. A multivariate flexible parametric proportional-hazards model with restricted cubic splines (RCS) was used to explore and identify the independent prognostic factors, including clinical potential factors and ALI for the overall survival. Multivariate regression analysis was used to evaluate the potential prognostic factors associated with short survival less than 6 months. The analysis of the restricted mean survival time (RMST) method was used to estimate the event-free time from zero to 18 months. Results: The median OS was 10.9 months (95%CI 9.57-13.18) and median PFS was 7.5 months (95%CI 6.85-8.00).The multivariate survival analyses revealed two prognostic factors for worse survival: Poor ECOG PS (HR46.90; 95%CI 2.90-758.73; p=0.007) and progressive disease after completing the first line chemotherapy treatment (HR 2.85; 95%CI1.18-6.88; p=0.02),whereas a low ALI     

The Impact of Sorafenib in Combination with Transarterial Chemoembolization on the Outcomes of Intermediate-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background: We investigated the treatment outcomes and hepatic reserve of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE)-refractory patients with recurrent advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with TACE plus sorafenib. Methods: Forty-one patients with intermediate-stage HCC defined as being TACE refractory on imaging were treated with sorafenib and TACE between 2009 and 2012 and comprised the combination treatment group. Twenty-nine patients who received repeated TACE after becoming refractory to TACE between 2005 and 2008 comprised the TACE continuation group. Results: Although the interval between successive rounds of TACE was significantly shorter before the patients developed TACE refractoriness, it was significantly longer after the development of TACE refractoriness, in the combination treatment group compared with the TACE continuation group. The appearance of extrahepatic spread and/or vascular invasion differed significantly between the two groups. The median overall survival was significantly longer in the combination treatment group than in the TACE continuation group (20.5 vs. 15.4 months, respectively; hazard ratio = 2.04; 95% confidence interval = 1.20–3.48). The 3-year overall survival rate was 33.4% in the combination treatment group and 3.5% in the TACE continuation group. Downstaging of the Child–Pugh class was significantly less frequent in the combination treatment group than in the TACE continuation group. In COX proportional hazards analyses, sorafenib plus TACE resulted in a better prognosis compared with repeated TACE. Conclusions: Treatment with sorafenib plus TACE in TACE-refractory patients with intermediate-stage HCC resulted in longer intervals between TACE rounds, better maintenance of hepatic reserve, and significantly longer OS compared with repeated TACE.     

术前肝动脉化疗栓塞对肝细胞癌术后无瘤生存的影响

目的 分析术前肝动脉化疗栓塞（ＴＡＣＥ）对提高肝癌术后无瘤生存率的作用,评价对可切除肝癌术前行ＴＡＣＥ的意义。方法 对１７２５例行根治或相对根治切除的原发性肝细胞癌患者进行回顾性随访,回访１４５７例,其中１２０例术前行ＴＡＣＥ。采用Ｃｏｘ模型对一些临床病理因素做单、多因素分析,用Ｋａｐｌａｎ－Ｍｅｉｅｒ法分析术后无瘤生存情况。结果 Ｃｏｘ模型分析结果显示,术前ＴＡＣＥ次数和疗效等因素对无瘤生存有显     

The effect of preoperative transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization on disease-free survival after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Although surgical resection has produced better results than other therapies for local control of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the long term results have not been satisfactory because of a low disease-free survival rate. The effects of preoperative transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) on improving disease-free survival of HCC after hepatectomy has remained controversial. METHODS: The current study was retrospective survey of 1725 patients who had hepatectomy for HCC between January 1990 and December 1995 and had follow-up data for 1457 cases. The follow-up rate was 84.5%. The significant prognostic factors were analyzed using a Cox proportional hazards survival model, and the disease-free survival was calculated by Kaplan-Meier estimation. Among 1457 cases, 120 patients underwent preoperative TACE and were divided into a one time TACE group, over two times TACE group, an effective group, and ineffective group. RESULTS: Multivariate analyses revealed significant prognostic factors as follows: preoperative TACE number, preoperative TACE effect, preoperative lesion number, intraoperative tumor thrombus, tumor size, tumor gross type, daughter nodules, vascular invasion, and postoperative alpha-fetoprotein value. Kaplan-Meier estimation showed that the 5-year disease-free survival rates of the over two times group, the one time group, and no TACE group were 51.0%, 35.5%, and 21.4%, respectively, and that the mean disease-free survival times of the three groups were 66.4, 22.5 and 12.5 months, respectively. The effective group had a 5-year disease-free survival rate of 56.8%, with a mean time of 90.1 months. CONCLUSIONS: Effective preoperative TACE may be one of the best methods, which can be clinically performed at present, for resectable HCCs including small HCCs for improving disease-free survival after hepatectomy. According to tumor size, range, location, hepatic function, and TACE effect, TACE can be performed 2-4 times preoperatively within 6 months.     

APRI评分对HBV相关肝细胞癌切除术患者预后的预测价值

目的:评估天冬氨酸转氨酶与血小板计数比值指数（APRI）对HBV相关肝细胞癌（HCC）切除术患者术后总生存率（OS）的预测价值。方法:采用回顾性队列研究方法,收集2012年1月至2016年12月期间在广西医科大学附属肿瘤医院行切除术治疗的1 031例HBV相关HCC患者的术前临床资料。通过Kaplan-Meier生存曲线确定APRI评分的cutoff值。采用Kaplan-Meier法绘制不同APRI组患者的生存曲线,并通过Log-rank检验评估两组人群的生存差异。运用逐步多因素Cox回归筛选患者OS独立影响因素。采用限制性立方条图（RCS)评价患者APRI与死亡风险的相关性。建立列线图模型评估APRI对OS的预测能力并内部验证。结果:RCS显示APRI与死亡风险呈非线性关联（非线性P＜0.001）。多因素Cox回归结果显示:APRI、BCLC分期、AFP、性别和肿瘤大小是OS独立影响因素,高APRI组死亡风险是低APRI组2.1倍。患者OS的列线图显示APRI对OS的预测能力仅次于BCLC分期。在建模组和验证组中预测OS列线图的C-index分别为0.71（95%CI:0.68~0.74）、0.69（95%CI:0.64~0.75）;1和5年OS校正曲线显示列线图具有良好的校准度;临床决策曲线（DCA）显示模型具有良好的临床应用价值。结论:APRI是HBV相关HCC切除术患者OS独立影响因素,基于APRI对患者预后进行分层,有利于进行个体化治疗和随访。     

Therapeutic efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization as compared with hepatic resection in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with compensated liver function in a hepatitis B virus-endemic area: a prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: Identifying a special subgroup of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients who may benefit from transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) when compared with the standard treatment of hepatic resection (HR) warrants research in Asian countries. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From January 1993 to December 1994, 182 patients with operable HCC (Child-Pugh class A and International Union Against Cancer [UICC] stage T1-3N0M0) were enrolled. After initial TACE and lipiodol computed tomography, 91 received HR and 91, who refused the operation, received repeated sessions of TACE. After stratification according to the tumor stage (UICC and Cancer of the Liver Italian Program [CLIP]) and lipiodol retention pattern, the survival rates of the two treatment groups were compared. The median follow-up period was 83 months. RESULTS: As of December 31, 2000, 48 patients who underwent HR and 68 patients who underwent TACE had died. In a subgroup analysis according to tumor stage, the HR group survival rate was significantly higher than the TACE group in both UICC T1-2N0M0 (P =.0058) and CLIP 0 (P =.0027) subgroups. However, there was no significant difference in either UICC T3N0M0 (P =.7512) or CLIP 1-2 (P =.5366) subgroups. Even in patients with UICC T1-2N0M0 HCC, when lipiodol was compactly retained, the survival rate of the HR group was comparable to that of the TACE group (P =.0596). CONCLUSION: TACE proved to be as effective as HR in the subpopulations with UICC T3N0M0 or CLIP 1-2 HCC and adequate liver function, and even with UICC T1-2N0M0 HCC when lipiodol was compactly retained in the tumor. In such cases, the choice of treatment modality between TACE and HR may be left to the patient's preference.     

The Blood Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte Ratio Predicts Survival in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Receiving Sorafenib

Background and Aim: Increasing evidence correlates the presence of systemic inflammation with poorsurvival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to investigate theprognostic significance of the blood neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with advanced HCC whoreceived sorafenib monotherapy. Methods: A total of sixty-five patients with advanced HCC, not eligible forlocoregional therapy, treated with sorafenib were enrolled. Potential prognostic factors such as age, gender,tumoral characteristics, performance status and NLR were analyzed. Results: Median OS and TTP for the entirecohort were 10.0 months (95%CI, 7.6-12.3 months) and 4.5 months (95% CI, 4.0-4.9 months). The mean NLRat baseline was 2.89. The median OS of patients with a high NLR (>4) was 6.5 months (95%CI, 5.2-7.7 months)compared with 12.5 months (95%CI, 9.9-15.0) for patients with a normal NLR (≤4) (P=0.01). Age ≤65, NLR>4, extrahepatic metastases and vascular invasion were all predictors of poorer overall survival. Multivariateanalysis showed that NLR > 4, vascular invasion and extrahepatic metastases were independent predictors ofpoorer overall survival. The median TTP of patients with a high NLR was 2.5 months (95%CI, 1.4-3.6 months)compared with 4.5 months (95%CI, 3.9-5.1 months) for patients with a normal NLR (P=0.012). Conclusions: Highbaseline NLR was associated with worse OS and TTP for patients with advanced HCC treated with sorafenib.     

Hepatic resection versus transarterial chemoembolization for the initial treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background & Aims

According to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system, hepatic resection and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) should be recommended in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within and beyond the BCLC stage A, respectively. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the overall survival between HCC patients undergoing hepatic resection and TACE.

Methods

PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane library databases were searched. All relevant studies were considered, if they reported the survival data in HCC patients undergoing hepatic resection and TACE. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for the comparison of cumulative overall survival. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95%CIs were calculated for the comparison of 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates. Subgroup analyses were performed according to the BCLC stages and portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT). Sensitivity analyses were performed in moderate- and high-quality studies and in studies published after 2005.

Results

Fifty of 2029 retrieved papers were included. One, 15, and 34 studies were of high-, moderate-, and low-quality, respectively. The overall meta-analysis demonstrated a statistically significantly higher overall survival in hepatic resection group than in TACE group (HR=0.60, 95%CI=0.55-0.66). Additionally, 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were statistically significantly higher in hepatic resection group than in TACE group (OR=1.82, 95%CI=1.56-2.14; OR=3.09, 95%CI=2.60-3.67; OR=3.48, 95%CI=2.83-4.27). The subgroup meta-analyses confirmed the statistical significance in HCC within the BCLC stage A (HR=0.72, 95%CI=0.64-0.80), in HCC beyond the BCLC stage A (HR=0.60, 95%CI=0.51-0.69), in HCC within the BCLC stage B alone (HR=0.48, 95%CI=0.25-0.90), and in HCC with PVTT (HR=0.78, 95%CI=0.68-0.91). The statistical significance was also confirmed by sensitivity analyses in moderate- and high-quality studies (HR=0.62, 95%CI=0.53-0.71) and in studies published after 2005 (HR=0.59, 95%CI=0.53-0.66).

Conclusions

Based on a systematic review and meta-analysis, hepatic resection may be considered in HCC beyond the BCLC stage A. However, given the limitations of study quality, more well-designed randomized controlled trials should be warranted to confirm these findings.     

High serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor predict poor response to transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma: a prospective study

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an important mediator of tumor angiogenesis. A high serum VEGF level has been shown to predict poor response to chemotherapy and poor survival in several cancers, but its prognostic value in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown. We conducted a prospective study to evaluate the prognostic significance of pretreatment serum VEGF levels on tumor response to treatment and survival of patients with HCC undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Pretreatment serum VEGF levels were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 80 patients with inoperable HCC undergoing TACE. Serum VEGF levels were correlated with clinical data, tumor response to TACE and survival results. The median serum VEGF level was 240 pg/ml (range 9-1730). Serum VEGF levels were positively correlated with the presence of venous tumor thrombus (P=0.011). Pretreatment serum VEGF levels were significantly higher in patients with progressive disease (median 434 pg/ml) than those with stable (median 176 pg/ml, P=0.010) or responsive disease (median 142 pg/ml, P<0.001) after TACE. Patients with serum VEGF >240 pg/ml had significantly worse survival than those with serum VEGF <240 pg/ml (median survival 6.8 vs. 19.2 months, P=0.007). In a Cox multivariate analysis, serum VEGF >240 pg/ml was an independent prognostic factor of survival. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that serum VEGF level may be useful as a novel prognostic predictor of tumor response and survival of patients with inoperable HCC undergoing TACE treatment.     

经皮射频消融术治疗外科切除术后复发性肝细胞癌疗效分析

背景与目的：大部分复发性的肝癌结节的直径小于3 cm,且射频消融(radiofrequency ablation,RFA)治疗直径小于3 cm的肿瘤结节,其疗效已受到广泛认可。探讨RFA对手术切除术后复发性肝细胞癌(hepatocellular carcinoma,HCC)的临床疗效与安全性。方法：回顾性分析61例手术切除后复发性HCC患者在经动脉化疗栓塞(transcatheter arterial chemoembolization,TACE)结合RFA的治疗下的1、3、5年总生存(overall survival,OS)率和无进展生存(progression-free survival,PFS)率,并发症发生率,死亡率,完全消融率以及影响患者生存率的独立风险因子。结果：完全消融率为93.4%(57/61),不完全消融率6.6%(4/61)。1、3、5年生存率分别为96.3%、77.9%和77.9%。1、3、5年PFS率分别为48.6%、20.3%和13.5%。消融术后出现主要并发症的患者1例,为肝包膜下出血;无消融治疗相关的死亡患者;消融后住院时间为4~7 d,中位值为5 d。影响OS的独立风险因子为患者HBsAg阳性(P=0.044,HR=7.496,95%CI：1.057~53.152)。结论：RFA治疗手术切除术后复发的HCC安全、有效,能够有效提高切除术后复发性HCC患者的生存率,对改善HCC患者的预后具有重要意义。     

经导管动脉化疗栓塞对肝癌合并门静脉癌栓的疗效评价

目的:探讨经导管动脉化疗栓塞对原发性肝细胞癌合并不同分型门静脉癌栓的疗效和预后因素,并评价此标准对临床的指导意义.方法:回顾性收集中国医科大学附属第一医院介入病房2007年1月至2009年12月间符合纳入标准的201例肝细胞癌患者,所有病例均接受规律的经导管动脉化疗栓塞治疗,然后根据合并门静脉癌栓的位置不同而分为4型,并相应的分成四组(I-Ⅳ组),最后对各组进行疗效和生存等统计学分析.结果:全部病例总缓解率为5.5%;有效率为48.3%;3个月、6个月、1年、2年及3年累积生存率分别为91.0%、81.1%、49.8%、15.4%和5.0%;中位生存时间为12个月.I-Ⅳ组的中位生存期分别为20个月、11个月、9个月和3个月.多因素分析显示,门静脉癌栓分型,凝血酶原时间,治疗次数和疗效为影响肝细胞癌患者生存期的独立预后因素.结论:在肝脏功能储备良好的情况下,经导管动脉化疗栓塞是肝细胞癌的一种安全有效的治疗手段,并且随着合并门静脉癌栓位置不同,预后也不同,对I型,Ⅱ型和Ⅲ型门静脉癌栓疗效较为显著,预后相对较好,但Ⅳ型预后较差.     

Roles of Ethnicity in Survival of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients in Malaysia

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Malaysia for the year 2001 was 2.8 per 100,000 people.The mortality rate is increasing. A retrospective cohort study measuring the survival of HCC patients who received treatment in Selayang Hospital was conducted from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2006. The main objectivesof the study were to measure the survival of the patients and to understand the influencing factors, especially ethnicity. The subjects were newly diagnosed cases of HCC by CT scan and histopathological assessment who underwent futher investigations and treatments in Hospital Selayang (inception cohort). The survival time was measured from the date of diagnosis until the subjects died, or failed to follow-up at the end of the study period (31 December 2007). A total of 299 patients were selected with 95 patients dying, the majority among Chinese(39.1%). Subgroup analysis according to ethnicity proved significantly that Chinese patients who had smaller tumor, less number of nodules, low AFP level, Child Pugh Class A and received surgical treatment had a better median survival rate compared to other ethnic groups. Malay (cHR: 1.3, 95%CI; 0.89-1.85) and Indian (cHR: 1.3, 95%CI; 0.74-2.26) patients had a poor survival compared to Chinese patients, but not in the final model.Therefore ethnicity may play a role in survival of HCC patients, but not as a main hazard prognostic factor.     

Transarterial chemoembolization for inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma and postresection intrahepatic recurrence

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The role of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has remained controversial, and its efficacy for postresection intrahepatic recurrence has not been fully assessed. A study was performed to evaluate the treatment results and prognostic factors of TACE treatment in these patients. METHODS: Clinicopathologic data and treatment results of 384 patients with inoperable HCC and 100 patients with postresection recurrent HCC treated with TACE were collected prospectively and analyzed. RESULTS: TACE was associated with an overall treatment morbidity rate of 23% (112/484) and mortality rate of 4.3% (21/484). A particularly high mortality rate of 20% (9/45) was observed among patients with tumors > 10 cm and pretreatment serum albumin level 35 g/L were independent favorable prognostic factors. TACE in patients with postresection recurrent HCC was associated with less morbidity, mortality, and a better survival outcome compared with patients with primary inoperable HCC, but this was largely related to smaller tumor size and better liver function in the former group at the time of TACE treatment. CONCLUSIONS: TACE in patients with inoperable HCC was associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and the survival benefit was limited. Better patient selection in terms of tumor size and liver function may improve treatment results. Patients who have a tumor > 10 cm and poor liver function (serum albumin 相似文献   

pN2Ⅲ期结直肠癌患者生存影响多因素分析

目的:分析影响pN2Ⅲ期结直肠癌患者预后的不同因素，为临床治疗提供参考。方法:回顾性分析2008年01月至2013年06月就诊于江苏大学附属宜兴医院的185例术后病理证实为pN2Ⅲ期的结直肠癌患者病例资料，对患者进行随访，利用Log-rank检验及COX比例风险模型分析临床各因素对患者预后的影响。结果:全组患者2、3、5年生存率分别为68.6%、30.8%、18.9%，中位无病生存时间（DFS）为12.4个月，中位生存时间（MST）为26.7个月。单因素分析结果显示，年龄、分化程度、脉管内癌栓、浸润深度、化疗、术后CEA水平与pN2 Ⅲ期结直肠癌患者预后相关(P<0.05）。多因素分析结果显示，分化程度（HR=0.567，95%CI:0.410～0.783，P=0.001）、脉管内癌栓（HR=0.617，95%CI:0.434～0.878，P=0.007）、浸润深度（HR=1.640，95%CI:1.331～2.022，P<0.001）、化疗（HR=2.488，95%CI:1.678～3.689，P<0.001）、术后CEA水平（HR=0.375，95%CI:0.266～0.530，P<0.001）是影响pN2 Ⅲ期结直肠癌患者预后的独立因素(P<0.05）。结论:pN2Ⅲ期结直肠癌患者预后较差，特别是肿瘤分化程度低、脉管内有癌栓、肿瘤浸润至全层以上及术后CEA升高患者，化疗可改善预后。     

Hepatic Resection after Initial Transarterial Chemoembolization Versus Transarterial Chemoembolization Alone for the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Meta-analysis of Observational Studies

Background: There is no consensus regarding the selection of treatment options for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after initial transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). This meta-analysis aimed to explore the survival benefit of hepatic resection after initial TACE for the treatment of HCC. Materials and Methods: We searched three major databases to identify all relevant papers comparing the outcomes of hepatic resection after initial TACE versus TACE alone for the treatment of HCC. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were calculated to evaluate the survival benefit of hepatic resection after initial TACE over TACE alone. Results: Three of 2037 initially identified papers were included. All of them were cohort studies from Asia. There was a significantly better overall survival (OS) in patients undergoing hepatic resection after initial TACE than in those undergoing TACE alone (HR=0.63, 95%CI=0.52-0.76, P<0.00001). The heterogeneity among studies was not statistically significant (P=0.96; I2=0%). Conclusions: Hepatic resection could improve the OS of HCC patients treated with initial TACE. Further randomized controlled trials should be necessary to identify the target population for the sequential use of hepatic resection after initial TACE and to compare the outcomes between patients undergoing hepatic resection after initial TACE session versus those undergoing TACE alone.     

Predictive Role of Glutathione-S-transferase Gene Polymorphisms in Risk and Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Aim: We conducted a prospective study in an Chinese population to detect associations of GSTM, GSTT andGSTP polymorphisms with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and analyze roles in determining survival outcome.Methods: A prospective follow-up study was conducted with 476 HCC patients and 481 controls collected fromMay 2005 to May 2007. All patients were followed up until the end of Dec. 2011. GSTM1, GSTT1 and GSTP1genotyping were performed by PCR-CTPP methods. Results: Null GSTM1 carriers had a 1.64 fold risk of HCCcompared with non-null genotype, while GSTP1 Val/Val carriers had a 93% increased risk over the GSTP1IIe/IIe genotype. The median follow-up time for the 476 patients was 34.2 months (range: 1 to 78 months).Individuals with null GSTM1 genotype had better survival of HCC than non-null genotype carriers ( HR=0.71,95%CI=0.45-0.95). Similarly, GSTP1 Val/Val genotypes had significant better survival than the GSTP1 IIe/IIegenotype (HR=0.34, 95%CI=0.18-0.65). Individuals carrying null GSTM1 and GSTP1 Val/Val who receivedchemotherapy had lower risk of death from HCC than those without chemotherapy. Conclusion: This studyindicated carriage of null GSTM1 and GSTP1 Val/Val genotypes to have roles in susceptibility to and survivalfrom HCC.