Adjuvant stereotactic body radiotherapy following transarterial chemoembolization in patients with non‐resectable hepatocellular carcinoma tumours of ≥3 cm

Objectives

The optimal locoregional treatment for non-resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) of ≥3 cm in diameter is unclear. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the initial intervention most commonly performed, but it rarely eradicates HCC. The purpose of this study was to measure survival in HCC patients treated with adjuvant stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) following TACE.

Methods

A retrospective study of patients with HCC of ≥3 cm was conducted. Outcomes in patients treated with TACE alone (n = 124) were compared with outcomes in those treated with TACE + SBRT (n = 37).

Results

There were no significant baseline differences between the two groups. The pre-TACE mean number of tumours (P = 0.57), largest tumour size (P = 0.09) and total tumour diameter (P = 0.21) did not differ significantly between the groups. Necrosis of the HCC tumour, measured after the first TACE, did not differ between the groups (P = 0.69). Local recurrence was significantly decreased in the TACE + SBRT group (10.8%) in comparison with the TACE-only group (25.8%) (P = 0.04). After censoring for liver transplantation, overall survival was found to be significantly increased in the TACE + SBRT group compared with the TACE-only group (33 months and 20 months, respectively; P = 0.02).

Conclusions

This retrospective study suggests that in patients with HCC tumours of ≥3 cm, treatment with TACE + SBRT provides a survival advantage over treatment with only TACE. Confirmation of this observation requires that the concept be tested in a prospective, randomized clinical trial.     

Best radiological response to trans‐arterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma does not imply better outcomes

IntroductionRegional therapy with trans‐arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a common treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Outcomes were examined in patients with the best radiological response (BR) after the initial TACE.MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent TACE as the initial treatment for HCC between the years 2000 and 2010. BR was defined as complete disappearance of the tumour or no enhancement with contrast on the first cross‐sectional imaging study after the initial TACE.ResultsSeventy‐eight out of 104 total consecutive patients were identified with the potential for a BR to TACE therapy for unresectable HCC, and 24 met the criteria for BR. Patients with BR had a median survival of 12.8 months (2.2–54.9) compared with 18.9 months(1.3–56.7) for the entire cohort (P= 0.313). The median time to progression was 10.6 months (1.2–24.3) in the BR group and 3.2 months (0.7–49.2) in the patients without a BR (P= 0.003).DiscussionBR to initial TACE for unresectable HCC is associated with comparable survival to those without BR in spite of a longer time to cancer progression. It may be reasonable to consider further therapy such as repeat TACE or biological/systemic therapy in patients with HCC even when the radiological response to the initial TACE is favourable.     

Computed tomography predictors of hepatocellular carcinoma tumour necrosis after chemoembolization

Background

Radiographical features associated with a favourable response to trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE) are poorly defined for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

From 2008 to 2012, all first TACE interventions for HCC performed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) were retrospectively reviewed. Only patients with a pre-TACE and a post-TACE computed tomography (CT) scan were included in the analyses (n = 115). HCC tumour response to TACE was quantified via the the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST) criteria. Univariate and multivariable analyses were constructed.

Results

The index HCC tumours experienced a > 90% or complete tumour necrosis in 59/115 (51%) of patients after the first TACE intervention. On univariate analysis, smaller tumour size, peripheral tumour location and arterial enhancement were associated with a > 90% or complete tumour necrosis, whereas, only smaller tumour size [odds ratio (OR) 0.62; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.48, 0.81] and peripheral location (OR 6.91; 95% CI 1.75, 27.29) were significant on multivariable analysis. There was a trend towards improved survival in the patients that experienced a > 90% or complete tumour necrosis (P = 0.08).

Conclusions

Peripherally located smaller HCC tumours are most likely to experience a > 90% or complete tumour necrosis after TACE. Surprisingly, arterial-phase enhancement and portal venous-phase washout were not significantly predictive of TACE-induced tumour necrosis. The TACE response was not statistically associated with improved survival.     

Is laparoscopic liver resection suitable for selected patients with BCLC stage B HCC? A propensity score-matched analysis

BackgroundThe optimal treatment for patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage B hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is controversial given the variability of tumour status within this group of patients. This aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in a subset of selected patients with BCLC stage B HCC.MethodsPatients with resectable BCLC stage B HCC who underwent treatment between April 2015 and October 2018 were identified for further analysis. Propensity score matching (PSM) was conducted to minimize effect of confounding factors. Perioperative and long-term outcomes were compared between the two groups and multivariate analysis was performed to identify risk factors related to the overall survival (OS).ResultsFrom a total of 224 patients 70 were included into each group after PSM. The overall and major morbidity were comparable between the LLR and TACE groups (P = 0.700 and P = 0.500 after PSM, respectively). The OS in LLR group was significantly better than that in the TACE group (P < 0.001). Tumor number ≥4, the diameter of the biggest tumor >5 cm, and patients who underwent TACE were independent predictors of poorer OS.ConclusionsLLR for selected patients with BCLC stage B HCC is safe and feasible and has improved survival as compared to TACE.     

Transarterial chemoembolization plus sorafenib versus sorafenib for intermediate–advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: A meta-analysis comparing clinical outcomes

Background:Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks as the sixth most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, local and systemic therapies are beneficial for those who have more advanced disease or are not suitable for radical treatment. We aim to investigate the clinical outcomes of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) plus sorafenib compared with sorafenib monotherapy for intermediate–advanced HCC.Methods:A systematic search according to preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines in the PubMed database was conducted from inception to December 31, 2020 for published studies comparing survival outcomes and tumor response between TACE + sorafenib and sorafenib alone for intermediate–advanced HCC.Results:Five eligible cohort studies and a randomized controlled trial with a total of 3015 patients were identified. We found that the TACE + sorafenib group had a significantly better overall survival (OS) (hazard ratio, 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.66–0.88, P < .001) than those treated with sorafenib. Median OS ranged from 7.0 to 22.0 months with TACE + sorafenib and from 5.9 to 18.0 months with sorafenib. The combination of TACE + sorafenib had a significantly better time to progression (hazard ratio, 0.74; 95% CI 0.65–0.82, P < .001) than those treated with sorafenib. Median time to progression ranged from 2.5 to 5.3 months with TACE + sorafenib and from 2.1 to 2.8 months with sorafenib. The results showed the TACE + sorafenib group had a higher disease control rate (log odds ratio, 0.52; 95% CI 0.25–0.80, P = .0002), objective response rate (log odds ratio, 0.85; 95% CI 0.37–1.33, P = .0006) than sorafenib group. Hand–foot skin reaction, diarrhea, fatigue, vomiting, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation were common adverse events. The adverse events were similar between the 2 groups excluding elevated ALT.Conclusion:Although the TACE + sorafenib group had a higher elevated ALT, the combination of TACE + sorafenib had an OS benefit compared with sorafenib in the treatment of intermediate–advanced HCC. Further research is necessary to affirm this finding and clarify whether certain subgroups benefit from different combinations between TACE and sorafenib.     

Chemoembolization outcomes for hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic patients with compromised liver function

Background

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is recommended as a treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with normal underlying liver function. The efficacy of TACE in cirrhotic patients with compromised liver function is unknown.

Methods

All ‘first’ TACE interventions for HCC performed at a single institution from 2008 to 2012 were retrospectively reviewed (n = 190). Liver function was quantified via the Child''s score. Tumour necrosis after TACE was quantified via the mRECIST criteria.

Results

The ‘first’ TACE procedures of 100 Child''s A and 90 Child''s B/C cirrhotic patients were evaluated. As expected, the lab-model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score was significantly higher in the Child''s B/C group. Although the number of tumours were similar between the groups, both the size of the largest tumour and the total tumour diameter were greater in the Child''s A group. There were no significant differences in post-TACE tumour necrosis between groups. The median survival after TACE was significantly longer in the Child''s A compared with Child''s B/C patients (21.9 versus 13.7 months, P = 0.03).

Conclusions

TACE appears to be equally efficacious in cirrhotic patients regardless of their Child''s classification based upon equivalent mRECIST measures of tumour necrosis. However, inferior survival after TACE was observed in the Child''s B/C group.     

Efficacy of hepatic resection vs transarterial chemoembolization for solitary huge hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To compare the efficacy of hepatic resection (HR) and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for patients with solitary huge (≥ 10 cm) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).METHODS: Records were retrospectively analyzed of 247 patients with solitary huge HCC, comprising 180 treated by HR and 67 by TACE. Long-term overall survival (OS) was compared between the two groups using the Kaplan-Meier method, and independent predictors of survival were identified by multivariate analysis. These analyses were performed using all patients in both groups and/or 61 pairs of propensity score-matched patients from the two groups.RESULTS: OS at 5 years was significantly higher in the HR group than the TACE group, across all patients (P = 0.002) and across propensity score-matched pairs (36.4% vs 18.2%, P = 0.039). The two groups showed similar postoperative mortality and morbidity. Multivariate analysis identified alpha-fetoprotein ≥ 400 ng/mL, presence of vascular invasion and TACE treatment as independent predictors of poor OS.CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that HR can be safe and more effective than TACE for patients with solitary huge HCC.     

Evaluating the predictive power of circulating tumor cells for the prognosis of transarterial chemoembolization treatment on patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Explore the predictive power of Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) for evaluating the prognosis of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment on advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, and use it to construct a prediction model.We retrospectively analyzed 43 patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage C HCC who underwent TACE treatment.The survival time of 43 advanced HCC patients were 2 to 60 months, with the median survival time of 12 months, 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 42.9%, 9.0%, and 3.6%, respectively. The OS of patients with high level of CTCs before TACE (CTC1 > 2) was significantly lower than that of patients with low level of CTCs (8 vs 12 months, P = .040), but there was no significant difference in PFS between the 2 groups (P = .926). Meanwhile, there was no significant difference in OS and PFS between patients with high level CTCs and those with low level CTCs at 1 week and 4 weeks after TACE (P all > .05). In univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis, the number of lesions and CTC before TACE were the independent influencing factors for prognosis in these patients, and the HR was 3.01 and 1.20, respectively (all P < .05). The area under curve of COX regression model to predict OS increased with the increase of follow-up time, ranging from 0.56 to 0.85.The CTCs number before TACE is an effective biomarker for predicting the OS of advanced HCC patients. The joint prediction model based on CTCs and tumor number can effectively predict the prognosis of patients with advanced HCC.     

Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Stage B Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Transarterial Chemoembolization or Hepatic Resection?

According to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) guidelines, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is recommended for BCLC stage B hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, an investigation of the use of resection for BCLC stage B is needed. Therefore, we compared the efficacy and safety of hepatic resection (HR) with that of TACE in treating intermediate HCC.We retrospectively enrolled 923 patients with BCLC stage B HCC who underwent TACE (490 cases) or HR (433 cases). The baseline characteristics, postoperative recoveries, and long-term overall survival rates of the patients in these 2 groups were compared. Subgroup analyses and comparisons were also performed between the 2 groups.The baseline demographic and tumor characteristics, in-hospital mortality rate, and 30-day mortality rate were comparable between the 2 groups. However, the patients in the resection group suffered from more serious complications compared with those in the TACE group (11.1% vs 4.7%, respectively, P < 0.01) as well as longer hospital stays (P < 0.05). The resection patients had significantly better overall survival rates than the TACE patients (P < 0.01). In the TACE group, patients with Lipiodol retention showed much higher 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates than those in the noncompact Lipiodol retention group (P < 0.01). Subgroup analyses revealed that patients with 1 to 3 tumor targets showed much better 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates in the resection group (P < 0.01), but no difference was observed for the patients with >3 targets.Our clinical analysis suggests that patients with BCLC stage B HCC should be recommended for resection when 1 to 3 targets are present, whereas TACE should be recommended when >3 targets are present.     

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation for hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhosis: Survival rate and prognostic factors

BackgroundThe role of prognostic variables in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) is controversial.AimsTo evaluate the survival of patients with HCC on cirrhosis treated with TACE and to analyse the prognostic factors affecting survival.MethodsFrom 1996 to 2006, 580 consecutive patients with HCC in cirrhosis were observed. Of these 194 patients underwent TACE. The primary end-point was survival. Independent predictors of survival were identified using the Cox model.ResultsThe cumulative 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival rates were 96%, 60%, and 41%, respectively. The multivariate analysis showed significant reduction of survival among patients with serum bilirubin values >2 mg/dl compared to patients with values <2 mg/dl (Hazard ratio 3.84; CI 95% 1.70–8.66; p-value = 0.001). Multivariate analysis performed in the group of patients treated with TACE alone showed that elevated serum bilirubin (Hazard ratio 2.96; CI 95% 1.20–7.3; p-value 0.02) and incomplete tumour response (Hazard ratio 2.88; CI 95% 1.18–7.05; p-value 0.02) are correlated with a worse outcome.ConclusionsTACE was well tolerated and overall survival rate was 41% after 5 years. Complete tumour response and serum bilirubin <2 mg/dl were identified as predictors of survival.     

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) plus apatinib vs. TACE alone for hepatocellular carcinoma

ObjectiveTransarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a common therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), while TACE-induced tumor angiogenesis would increase progression and metastasis risk. Besides, apatinib possesses the capability of inhibiting tumor angiogenesis. Thus, this study aimed to explore the efficacy and safety of TACE plus apatinib compared to TACE alone in HCC patients.MethodsNinety-six intermediate-advanced HCC patients were retrospectively enrolled and classified into TACE plus apatinib group (N = 45) and TACE group (N = 51) based on the treatment.ResultsObjective response rate (68.9% vs. 47.1%) was increased in TACE plus apatinib group than in TACE group (P = 0.031). However, no difference was found in disease-control rate between groups (95.6% vs. 86.3%) (P = 0.167). Progression-free survival (PFS) (median PFS (95% confidence interval (CI)): 20.0 (13.2–26.8) vs. 14.0 (8.3–19.7) months) was enhanced in TACE plus apatinib group compared with TACE group (P = 0.030), while no difference was found in overall survival between groups (P = 0.060). Additionally, multivariate Cox's analysis presented that TACE plus apatinib (vs. TACE alone) independently associated with prolonged PFS (P = 0.043, hazard ratio = 0.617). Regarding safety profile, no difference in liver function indexes (albumin, total bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase) was found after treatment between two groups; meanwhile, only the incidence of hand-foot skin reaction (24.4% vs. 7.8%) was higher in TACE plus apatinib group compared to TACE group (P = 0.025), while no difference was found in other adverse events between two groups (all P > 0.05).ConclusionTACE plus apatinib illustrates a superior efficacy with tolerable safety than TACE alone in intermediate-advanced HCC patients.     

Predictors and clinical outcomes for spontaneous rupture of hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM:To determine the risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) rupture,and report the management and long-term survival results of patients with spontaneous rupture of HCC.METHODS:Among 4209 patients with HCC who were diagnosed at Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital from April 2002 to November 2006,200(4.8%) patients with ruptured HCC(case group) were studied retrospectively in term of their clinical characteristics and prognostic factors.The one-stage therapeutic approach to manage ruptured HCC consisted of initial management by conservative treatment,transarterial embolization(TACE) or hepatic resection.Results of various treatments in the case group were evaluated and compared with the control group(202 patients) without ruptured HCC during the same study period.Continuous data were expressed as mean ± SD or me-dian(range) where appropriate and compared using the unpaired t test.Categorical variables were compared using the Chi-square test with Yates correction or the Fisher exact test where appropriate.The overall survival rate in each group was determined using the Kaplan-Meier method and a log-rank test.RESULTS:Compared with the control group,more patients in the case group had underlying diseases of hypertension(7.5% vs 3.0%,P =0.041) and liver cirrhosis(87.5% vs 56.4%,P 0.001),tumor size 5 cm(83.0% vs 57.4%,P 0.001),tumor protrusion from the liver surface(66.0% vs 44.6%,P 0.001),vascular thrombus(30.5% vs 8.9%,P 0.001) and extrahepatic invasion(36.5% vs 12.4%,P 0.001).On multivariate logistic regression analysis,underlying diseases of hypertension(P = 0.002) and liver cirrhosis(P 0.001),tumor size 5 cm(P 0.001),vascular thrombus(P = 0.002) and extrahepatic invasion(P 0.001) were predictive for spontaneous rupture of HCC.Among the 200 patients with spontaneous rupture of HCC,105 patients underwent hepatic resection,33 received TACE,and 62 were managed with conservative treatment.The median survival time(MST) of all patients with spontaneous rupture of HCC was 6 mo(range,1-72 mo),and the overall survival at 1,3 and 5 years were 32.5%,10% and 4%,respectively.The MST was 12 mo(range,1-72 mo) in the surgical group,4 mo(range,1-30 mo) in the TACE group and 1 mo(range,1-19 mo) in the conservative group.Ninety-eight patients in the control group underwent hepatic resection,and the MST and median diseasefree survival time were 46 mo(range,6-93 mo) and 23 mo(range,3-39 mo) respectively,which were much longer than that of patients with spontaneous rupture of HCC undergoing hepatic resection(P 0.001).The 1-,3-,and 5-year overall survival rates and the 1-,3-and 5-year disease-free survival rates in patients with ruptured HCC undergoing hepatectomy were 57.1%,19.0% and 7.6%,27.6%,14.3% and 3.8%,respectively,compared with those of 77.1%,59.8% and 41.2%,57.1%,40.6% and 32.9% in 98 patients with-CONCLUSION:Prolonged survival can be achieved in selected patients undergoing one-stage hepatectomy,although the survival results were inferior to those of the patients without ruptured HCC.     

Comparative effectiveness of traditional chemoembolization with or without sorafenib for hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To compare the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) with associated adverse events (AE) in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) + sorafenib vs TACE alone. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study we collected data on all consecutive patients with a diagnosis of unresectable HCC between 2007 and 2011 who had been treated with TACE + sorafenib or TACE alone. We hypothesized that the combination therapy is superior to TACE alone in improving the survival in these patients. Data extracted included patient’s demographics, etiology of liver disease, histology of HCC, stage of liver disease with respect to model of end stage liverdisease score and Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) classification and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging for HCC. Computed tomography scan findings, alpha fetoprotein levels, number of treatments and related AE were also recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 43 patients who met inclusion criteria, 13 were treated with TACE + sorafenib and 30 with TACE alone. There was no significant difference in median survival: 20.6 mo (95%CI: 13.4-38.4) for the TACE + sorafenib and 18.3 mo (95%CI: 11.8-32.9) for the TACE alone (P = 0.72). There were also no statistically significant differences between groups in OS (HR = 0.82, 95%CI: 0.38-1.77; P = 0.61), PFS (HR = 0.93, 95%CI: 0.45-1.89; P = 0.83), and treatment-related toxicities (P = 0.554). CTP classification and BCLC staging for HCC were statistically significant (P = 0.001, P = 0.04 respectively) in predicting the survival in patients with HCC. The common AE observed were abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and mild elevation of liver enzymes. CONCLUSION: Combination therapy with TACE + sorafenib is safe and equally effective as TACE alone in patients with unresectable HCC. CTP classification and BCLC staging were the significant predictors of survival. Future trials with large number of patients are needed to further validate this observation.     

Transarterial chemoembolization in combination with percutaneous ablation therapy in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta‐analysis

Background: Recent evidence suggests that transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) or a percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) may have a synergistic effect in treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of the current meta‐analysis was to identify the survival benefits of TACE combined with percutaneous ablation (PA) therapy (RFA or PEI) for unresectable HCC compared with those of TACE or PA alone. Methods: Randomized‐controlled trials (RCTs) published as full papers or abstracts were searched to assess the survival benefit or tumour recurrence for patients with unresectable HCC on electronic databases. The primary outcome was survival. The secondary outcomes were response to therapy and tumour recurrence. Results: Ten RCTs met the criteria to perform a meta‐analysis including 595 participants. TACE combined with PA therapy, respectively improved, 1‐, 2‐, and 3‐year overall survival compared with that of monotherapy [odds ratio (OR) 2.28, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14–4.57; P=0.020], (OR=4.53, 95% CI 2.62–7.82, P<0.00001) and (OR=3.50, 95% CI 1.75–7.02, P=0.0004). Sensitivity analysis demonstrated a significant benefit in 1‐, 2‐ and 3‐year overall survival of TACE plus PEI compared with that of TACE alone for patients with large HCC lesions, but not in TACE plus RFA vs RFA for patients with small HCCs. The pooled result of five RCTs showed that combination therapy decreased tumour recurrence compared with that of monotherapy (OR=0.45, 95% CI 0.26–0.78, P=0.004). Conclusion: TACE combined with PA therapy especially PEI improved the overall survival status for large HCCs.     

Hepatitis C infection and hepatocellular carcinoma in liver transplantation: a 20-year experience

Background: Hepatitis C infection (HCV) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the two main causes of liver transplantation (LT), have reduced survival post-LT. The impact of HCV, HCC and their coexistence on post-LT survival were assessed.Methodology: All 601 LT patients from 1992 to 2011 were reviewed. Those deceased within 30 days (n = 69) and re-transplants (n = 49) were excluded. Recipients were divided into four groups: (a) HCC-/HCV-(n = 252) (b) HCC+/HCV-(n = 58), (c) HCC-/HCV+ (n = 106) and (d) HCC+/HCV+ (n = 67). Demographics, the donor risk index (DRI), Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, survival, complications and tumour characteristics were collected. Statistical analysis included anova, chi-square, Fisher''s exact tests and Cox and Kaplan–Meier for overall survival.Results: Groups were comparable with regards to baseline characteristics, but HCC patients were older. After adjusting for age, MELD, gender and the donor risk index (DRI), survival was lower in the HCC+/HCV+ group (59.5% at 5 yrs) and the hazard ratio (HR) was 1.90 [95% confidence interval (CI),1.24–2.95, P = 0.003] and 1.45 (95% CI, 0.99–2.12, P = 0.054) for HCC-/HCV+. HCC survival was similar to controls (HR 1.18, 95% CI, 0.71–1.93, P = 0.508). HCC+/HCV-patients exceeded the Milan criteria (50% versus 31%, P < 0.04) and had more micro-vascular invasion (37.5% versus 20.6%, P = 0.042). HCC+/HCV+ versus HCC+/HCV-survival remained lower (HR 1.94, 95% CI, 1.06–3.81, P = 0.041) after correcting for tumour characteristics and treatment.Conclusion: HCV patients had lower survival post-LT. HCC alone had no impact on survival. Patient survival decreased in the HCC+/HCV+ group and this appears to be as a consequence of HCV recurrence.     

Factors influencing the short-term and long-term survival of hepatocellular carcinoma patients with portal vein tumor thrombosis who underwent chemoembolization

BACKGROUNDThe factors affecting the short-term and long-term prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) receiving transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) are still unclear.AIMTo clarify the predictors correlated with the short-term and long-term survival of HCC patients with PVTT who underwent TACE.METHODSThe medical records of 181 HCC patients with PVTT who underwent TACE at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2015 to July 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. We explored the short-term and long-term prognostic factors by comparing the preoperative indicators of patients who died and survived within 3 mo and 12 mo after TACE. Multivariate analyses were conducted using logistic regression. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (area under curve) was used to evaluate the predictive ability of the factors related to the short-term and long-term prognosis.RESULTSThe median survival time was 4.8 mo (range: 2.5-8.85 mo). The 3 mo, 6 mo, and 12 mo survival rates were 68.5%, 38.7%, and 15.5%, respectively. In multivariable analysis, total bilirubin, sex, and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were closely linked to short-term survival. When AST ≥ 87 U/L and total bilirubin ≥ 16.15 µmol/L, the 3-mo survival rate after TACE was reduced significantly (P < 0.05). AST had the best predictive ability, followed by total bilirubin, while sex had the worst predictive ability for short-term survival area under curve: 0.763 (AST) vs 0.707 (total bilirubin) vs 0.554 (sex)]. The long-term survival outcome was significantly better in patients with a single lesion than in those with ≥ three lesions (P = 0.009). Patients with massive block HCC had a worse long-term survival than patients with nodular and diffuse HCC (P = 0.001).CONCLUSIONAST, total bilirubin, and sex are independent factors associated with short-term survival. The number of tumors and the gross pathological type of tumor are related to the long-term outcome.     

Doxorubicin-loaded Drug-eluting beads Versus Conventional Transarterial Chemoembolization for Nonresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background/Aims:To compare the efficacy and safety profile of doxorubicin-loaded drug-eluting beads (DEB) to the conventional TACE (C-TACE) in the management of nonresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Results:Thirty-five patients (51 procedures) in the DEB-TACE group and 19 patients (25 procedures) in the c-TACE group were included in the analysis. The median follow up time was 61 days (range 24–538 days) in the DEB-TACE group and 86 days (range 3–152 days) for the c-TACE group patients. Complete response (CR), objective response (OR), disease control (DC), and progressive disease (PD) rates were 11%, 24%, 53%, and 47%, respectively, in the DEB = TACE group compared with 4%, 32%, 64%, and 36%, respectively, in the c-TACE group. Mean ALT change from baseline was minimal in the DEB-TACE patients compared with c-TACE group (7.2 vs 79.4 units, P = 0.001). Hospital stay was significantly shorter in the DEB-TACE group (7.8 days vs 11.4 days; P = 0.038). The 2-year survival rate was 60% for the c-TACE patients and 58% for the DEB-TACE (P = 0.4).Conclusions:DEB-TACE compared with c-TACE is associated with lesser liver toxicity benefit, better tolerance, and shorter hospital stay. The two modalities however had similar survival and efficacy benefits.     

Hepatic Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients With Portal Hypertension: A Long-Term Benefit Compared With Transarterial Chemoembolization and Thermal Ablation

The optimal treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension (PHT) is still controversial. The objective of this study is to compare HCC patients with PHT treated with hepatic resection to those treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) or thermal ablation.A series of 167 cirrhotic patients with HCC undergoing hepatic resection or TACE/ablation from 2001 to 2008 were retrospectively analyzed. Cirrhotic patients with HCC were divided into 3 groups: hepatic resection in HCC patients with PHT (PHT-R group, n = 58), without PHT (NPHT-R group, n = 67), and TACE or thermal ablation in HCC patients with PHT (PHT-O group, n = 42). The short-term and long-term outcomes of liver function, operative mortality and morbidity, and survival rate were compared.Baseline characteristics were similar among the 3 groups, except for patients in the PHT-R group had larger spleen (16.0 vs 11.4 cm, P = 0.001) and smaller tumor size (4.8 vs 7.1 cm, P = 0.001) in comparison with those in the NPHT-R group. The PHT-R group had better liver function compared with those in the PHT-O group (patients had Child–Turcotte–Pugh class B liver function: 5.2% vs 31%, P = 0.001). There was no significant difference of operative mortality and morbidity in all groups. The 1-, 3-, 5-year survival rates were 80.4%, 55.6%, and 28.1% in the PHT-R group; 79.1%, 64.2%, and 39.8% in the NPHT-R group (vs PHT-R, P = 0.313); and 60.7%, 24.4%, and 7.3% in the PHT-O group (vs PHT-R, P < 0.001).Hepatic resection shows better long-term results for cirrhotic HCC patients with PHT than TACE and thermal ablation.     

Prognostic factors for survival after transarterial chemoembolization combined with microwave ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To analyze prognostic factors for survival after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with microwave ablation (MWA) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).METHODS: Clinical data of 86 patients who underwent TACE combined with MWA between January 2006 and December 2013 were retrospectively analyzed in this study. Survival curves were detected using log-rank test. Univariate analysis was performed using log-rank test with respect to 13 prognostic factors affecting survival. All statistically significant prognostic factors identified by univariate analysis were entered into a Cox proportion hazards regression model to identify independent predictors of survival. P values were two-sided and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.RESULTS: Median follow-up time was 47.6 mo, and median survival time of enrolled patients was 21.5 mo. The 1-, 2-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 72.1%, 44.1%, 31.4% and 13.9%, respectively. Tumor size(χ² = 14.999, P = 0.000), Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage (χ² = 29.765, P = 0.000), Child-Pugh class (χ² = 51.820, P = 0.000), portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) (χ² = 43.086, P = 0.000), arterio-venous fistula (χ² = 29.791, P = 0.000), MWA therapy times (χ² = 12.920, P = 0.002), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score (χ² = 28.660, P = 0.000) and targeted drug usage (χ² = 10.901, P = 0.001) were found to be significantly associated with overall survival by univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis identified that tumor size (95%CI: 1.608-4.962, P = 0.000), BCLC stage (95%CI: 1.016-2.208, P = 0.020), PVTT (95%CI: 2.062-9.068, P = 0.000), MWA therapy times (95%CI: 0.402-0.745, P = 0.000), ECOG score (95%CI: 1.012-3.053, P = 0.045) and targeted drug usage (95%CI: 1.335-3.143, P = 0.001) were independent prognostic factors associated with overall survival.CONCLUSION: Superior performance status, MWA treatment and targeted drug were favorable factors, and large HCC, PVTT and advanced BCLC stage were risk factors for survival after TACE-MWA for HCC.     

Uncompromised Treatment Efficacy in Elderly Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Propensity Score Analysis

The number of elderly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients is expected to rise. We analyzed the impact of age on clinical presentations, treatment allocation, and long-term survival between elderly (≥75 years) and younger (<75 years) HCC patients.In this study, a total of 812 elderly and 2270 younger HCC patients were evaluated. The baseline information and long-term survival were compared in the entire population and in different treatment groups. A propensity score matching analysis with preset caliper width was utilized to compare survival differences in different patient subgroups.Elderly HCC patients had discrete characteristics compared with younger HCC patients. Elderly patients received surgical resection (SR) less frequently, while more elderly patients underwent radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Younger patients had significantly better long-term survival than the elderly patients in all patients and in patients receiving SR (both P < 0.05). However, of the entire cohort, age was not an independent predictor of poor prognosis in the Cox multivariate model. The long-term survival was similar between 2 age groups in patients receiving RFA and TACE. In the propensity model, there were no significant survival differences among patients receiving SR, RFA, or TACE (all P > 0.05). Among the elderly, the Cancer of the Liver Italian Program (CLIP) score provided the lowest Akaike information criterion value.In conclusion, advanced age is not associated with inferior treatment result in HCC patients receiving different therapeutic modalities. Elderly HCC patients should be encouraged for active treatment when indicated. The CLIP is an optimal prognostic model for outcome assessment.