肝细胞癌四种临床分期系统预后判断和治疗指导价值的比较

Objective To compare the Barcelona clinic liver cancer staging classification (BCLC), the Japan integrated staging score (JIS), the cancer of the liver Italian program score (CLIP) and Chinese staging system in terms of their ability to predict outcomes and to guide option of therapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in China.Methods Clinical data of 861 HCC patients from Zhongshan Hospital between 2001 and 2002 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were classified acccording to different staging systems. Survival for patients in different stages and the effects of therapeutic methods on survival time were compared. Results BCLC, JIS and Chinese staging system showed the ability in predicting survival for patients in different staging. CLIP failed to show significant difference in survival rates for each subgroup. There was no significant difference in survival rate between surgery and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE)/transarterial embolization (TAE) for patients classified as BCLC stage C, CLIP scores more than 3 or Chinese stage Ⅲ a.The survival rate, however, was higher in patients received operation than those received TACE/TAE if they were classified as earlier stages. Conclusions The BCLC, JIS and Chinese staging systems show prospective ability for Chinese HCC patients in prediction outcomes, whereas the BCLC and the Chinese staging systems are better at both predicting outcomes and guiding the option of treatment.     

Staging systems for predicting survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after surgery

AIM: To compare the staging systems for stratifying and predicting the prognosis of patients with hepatocel-lular carcinoma (HCC) after partial hepatectomy (PH). METHODS: Clinical data about 438 HCC patients who underwent PH from January 1991 to December 2004 at our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Tumor stage was evaluated following the Chinese tumor node me-tastasis (TNM) and barcelona clinic liver cancer (BCLC) staging systems, respectively. Survival curves for the HCC patients were plotted using ...     

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.     

Survival outcome of lobar or segmental transcatheter arterial embolization with ethanol-lipiodol mixture in treating hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To evaluate the dinical outcome and cost-effectiveness of transcatheter arterial ethanol-lipiodoi embolotherapy on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: One hundred patients with HCC who were treated only by lobar or segmental transarterial embolization (TAE) with ethanol-lipiodoi mixture were enrolled in this study. The 1st- and 2nd-year survival rates were analyzed to evaluate the feasibility of its method. These outcomes of our patients were individually correlated to the Child-Pugh classification and the computed tomographic features of HCC. RESULTS: The overall 1st- and 2nd-year survival rates were 72% and 46%, respectively. The patients were classified into three groups according to their liver function status: 68 patients as Child-Pugh class A, 26 as Child B, and 6 as Child C. Child A had better survival rate than the Child B and/or C. The 1st-year survival rates of patients with Child A-C were 84%, 50%, and 33.3% respectively and the 2nd-year survival rates were 55.5%, 28.5%, and 33.3%, respectively. According to the computed tomographic features, solitary HCC with maximum diameter less than 5 cm had the best outcome with the lst-year survival rate of 100% and the 2nd-year survival rate of 71.4%, while solitary HCC with maximum diameter over 5 cm and multiple HCC had the lst-year survival rates of 75% and 63.7%, respectively, and the 2nd-year survival rates of 33.3% and 44.4%, respectively. Only one patient was complicated with abscess formation and was cured with antibiotic therapy. No mortality resulted from the procedures performed. CONCLUSION: TAE with ethanol-lipiodoi mixture is an economic, safe and feasible method for treating HCC, especially for the patients with smaller solitary HCC or with liver function status of Child-Pugh class A.     

Survival rates according to barcelona clinic liver cancer sub-staging system after transarterial embolization for intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To investigate the survival rates after transarterial embolization(TAE).METHODS: One hundred third six hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) patients [90 barcelona clinic liver cancer(BCLC) B] were submitted to TAE between August 2008 and December 2013 in a single center were retrospectively studied. TAE was performed via superselective catheterization followed by embolization with polyvinyl alcohol or microspheres. The date of the first embolization until death or the last follow-up date was used for the assessment of survival. The survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the groups were compared using the log-rank test.RESULTS: The overall mean survival was 35.8 mo(95%CI: 25.1-52.0). The survival rates of the BCLC A patients(33.7%) were 98.9%, 79.0% and 58.0% at 12, 24 and 36 mo, respectively, and the mean survival was 38.1 mo(95%CI: 27.5-52.0). The survival rates of the BCLC B patients(66.2%) were 89.0%, 69.0% and 49.5% at 12, 24 and 36 mo, respectively, and the mean survival was 29.0 mo(95%CI: 17.2-34). The survival rates according to the BCLC B sub-staging showed significant differences between the groups, with mean survival rates in the B1, B2, B3 and B4 groups of 33.5 mo(95%CI: 32.8-34.3), 28.6 mo(95%CI: 27.5-29.8), 19.0 mo(95%CI: 17.2-20.9) and 13 mo, respectively(P = 0.013).CONCLUSION : The BCLC sub-stagingsystem could add additional prognosis information for postembolization survival rates in HCC patients.     

Natural history of untreatable hepatocellular carcinoma: A retrospective cohort study

AIM:To investigate the clinical course of untreatable hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) identified at any stage and to identify factors associated with mortality.METHODS:From January 1999 to December 2010,320 out of 825 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of HCC and not appropriate for curative or palliative treatments were followed and managed with supportive therapy.Cirrhosis was diagnosed by histological or clinical features and liver function was evaluated according to Child-Pugh score.The diagnosis of HCC was performed by Ultra-Sound guided biopsy or by multiphasic contrast-enhanced computed tomography or gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.Data were collected for each patient including all clinical,laboratory and imaging variables necessary for the outcome prediction staging systems considered.HCC staging was performed according Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer(BCLC) and Cancer of the Liver Italian Program scores.Follow-up time was defined as the number of months from the diagnosis of HCC to death.Prognostic baseline variables were analyzed by multivariate Cox analysis to identify the independent predictors of survival.RESULTS:Seventy-five per cent of patients had hepatitis C.Ascites was present in 169 patients(53%),while hepatic encephalopathy was present in 49 patients(15%).The Child-Pugh score was class A in 105 patients(33%),class B in 142 patients(44%),and class C in 73 patients(23%).One hundred patients(31%) had macroscopic vascular invasion and/or extrahepatic spread of the tumor.A single lesion 10 cm was observed in 34 patients(11%),while multinodular HCC was present in 189 patients(59%).Thirty nine patients(12%) were BCLC early(A) stage,55(17%) were BCLC intermediate(B) stage,124(39%) were BCLC advanced(C) stage,and 102(32%) were endstage BCLC(D).At the time of this analysis(July 2011),28(9%) patients were still alive.Six(2%) patients who were lost during follow-up were censored at the last visit.The overall median survival was 6.8 mo,and the 1-year survival was 32%.The 1-year survival according to BCLC classes was 100%,79%,12% and 0%,for BCLC A,B,C and D,respectively.There was a significant difference in survival between each BCLC class.The median survival of patients of BCLC stages A,B,C and D was 33,17.4,6.9,and 1.8 mo,respectively(P 0.05 for comparison between stages).The median survival of Child-Pugh A,B and C classes were 9.8 mo(range 6.4-13),6.1(range 4.9-7.3),and 3.7(range 1.5-6),respectively(P 0.05 for comparison between stages).By univariate analysis,the variables significantly associated to an increased liklihood of mortality were Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status(PS),presence of ascites,low level of albumin,elevated level of bilirubin,international normalized ratio(INR) and Log-[(α fetoprotein(AFP)].At multivariate analysis,mortality was independently predicted by bad PS(P 0.0001),high INR values(P = 0.0001) and elevated Log-(AFP) levels(P = 0.009).CONCLUSION:This study confirms the heterogeneous behavior of untreated HCC.BCLC staging remains an important prognostic guide and may be important in decision-making for palliative treatment.     

Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer outperforms Hong Kong Liver Cancer staging of hepatocellular carcinoma in multiethnic Asians: Real-world perspective

AIM To compare the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer(BCLC) and Hong Kong Liver Cancer(HKLC) classification systems when applied to HCC patients from the largest tertiary-level centre in Singapore.METHODS One thousand two hundred and seventy hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) patients prospectively enrolled in a tertiary-level centre registry in Singapore since 1988 were studied. Patients were grouped into their respective BCLC and HKLC stages. Data such as demography, aetiology of HCC and type of treatment were collected. Survival data was based on census with the National Registry of Births and Deaths on 31 st October 2015. Statistical analyses were done using SPSS version 21(Chicago, IL, United States). Survival analyses were done by the Kaplan-Meier method. Differences in survival rates were compared using the log-rank test.RESULTS The median age at presentation was 63 years(range 13-94); male 82.4%; Chinese 89.4%, Malay 7.1%, Indian, 2.8%. Hepatitis B was the predominant aetiology(75.0%; Hepatitis C 7.2%, Hepatitis B and C co-infection 3.8%, non-viral 14.0%). Both BCLC and HKLC staging systems showed good separation with overall log rank test confirming significant survival differences between stages in our cohort(P 0.001). 206 out of the 240 patients(85.8%) assigned for curative treatment by the BCLC treatment algorithm received curative therapy for HCC [Stage 0 93.2%(68/73); Stage A 82.6%(138/167)]. In contrast, only 341/558(61.1%) patients received curative treatment despite being assigned for curative treatment by the HKLC treatment algorithm [Stage Ⅰ 72.7%(264/363); Stage Ⅱ 40.2%(66/164); Stage Va 35.5%(11/31)]. Patients who were assigned to curative treatment by HKLC but did not receive curative treatment had significantly poorer ECOG(P 0.001), higher ChildPugh status(P 0.001) and were older(median age 66 vs 61, P 0.001) than those who received curative therapy. Median overall survival in patients assigned to curative treatment groups by BCLC and HKLC were 6.1 and 2.6 years respectively(P 0.001). When only patients receiving curative treatment were analyzed, BCLC still predicted overall median survival better than HKLC(7.1 years vs 5.5 years, P = 0.037). CONCLUSION BCLC performs better than HKLC in our multiethnic Asian population in allocating patients to curative treatment in a real-life situation as well as in predicting survival.     

Role of hepatectomy for recurrent or initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma

As a result of donor shortage and high postoperative morbidity and mortality after liver transplantation,hepatectomy is the most widely applicable and reliable option for curative treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Because intrahepatic tumor recurrence is frequent after loco-regional therapy,repeated treatments are advocated provided background liver function is maintained.Among treatments including local ablation and transarterial chemoembolization,hepatectomy provides the best long-term outcomes,but studies comparing hepatectomy with other nonsurgical treatments require careful review for selection bias.In patients with initially unresectable HCC,transarterial chemo-or radio-embolization,and/or systemic chemotherapy can down-stage the tumor and conversion to resectable HCC is achieved in approximately 20%of patients.However,complete response is rare,and salvage hepatectomy is essential to help prolong patients’survival.To counter the short recurrence-free survival,excellent overall survival is obtained by combining and repeating different treatments.It is important to recognize hepatectomy as a complement,rather than a contraindication,to other nonsurgical treatments in a mul-tidisciplinary approach for patients with HCC,including recurrent or unresectable tumors.     

Cancer of the Liver Italian Program score helps identify potential candidates for transarterial chemoembolization in patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage C

BACKGROUND: The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer(BCLC)staging system for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) recommends transarterial chemoembolization(TACE) as the first line therapy for stage B patients and sorafenib treatment for stage C patients.However, stage C patients exhibit variations in terms of tumor burden, liver function, and extrahepatic metastasis, which could potentially affect disease outcome. Here, we assessed whether the Cancer of the Liver Italian Program(CLIP) scores can help identify stage C patients likely to benefit from TACE.METHODS: Out of 295 BCLC stage C HCC patients enrolled between January 2009 and December 2011, those with platelet counts 30×10~9 cells/L, total bilirubin 51 μmo L/L, and an unobstructed main portal vein were scheduled for TACE(n=195). The remaining patients received best supportive care(BSC, n=100).All the patients were followed up for symptoms, performance status, and Child-Pugh classification scores every 4 weeks until death or December 2013. The prognosis of each group was evaluated by using the log-rank test and Cox-Mantel test.RESULTS: The median overall survival(OS) was 6 months [95% confidence interval(CI): 4.64-7.36]. The OS was 9 months for the TACE group and 4 months for the BSC group. The TACE group had a longer OS than the BSC subgroup for CLIP scores 0-2 [13 months(95% CI: 8.55-17.45) vs 4 months(95% CI:0.00-10.96), P=0.001]. No significant differences were found between the TACE and BSC groups for CLIP scores 3-5. The CLIP score and treatment methods were found to be independent prognostic factors.CONCLUSIONS: BCLC stage C HCC patients exhibit definite disease heterogeneity and can be reclassified by using the CLIP scoring system. Moreover, patients with CLIP scores 0-2 are likely to benefit from TACE. However, additional studies with long-term follow-up will be required to validate these findings.     

Hepatocellular carcinoma:Surgical perspectives beyond the barcelona clinic liver cancer recommendations

The barcelona clinic liver cancer(BCLC)staging system has been approved as guidance for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)treatment guidelines by the main Western clinical liver associations.According to the BCLC classification,only patients with a small single HCC nodule without signs of portal hypertension or hyperbilirubinemia should undergo liver resection.In contrast,patients with intermediate-advanced HCC should be scheduled for palliative therapies,even if the lesion is resectable.Recent studies report good short-term and long-term outcomes in patients with intermediate-advanced HCC treated by liver resection.Therefore,this classification has been criticised because it excludes many patients who could benefit from curative resection.The aim of this review was to evaluate the role of surgery beyond the BCLC recommendations.Safe liver resection can be performed in patients with portal hypertension and well-compensated liver function with a 5-year survival rate of 50%.Surgery also offers good long-term result in selected patients with multiple or large HCCs with a reported 5-year survival rate of over 50%and 40%,respectively.Although macrovascular invasion is associated with a poor prognosis,liver resection provides better long-term results than palliative therapies or best supportive care.Recently,researchers have identified several genes whose altered expression influences the prognosis of patients with HCC.These genes may be useful for classifying the biological behaviour of different tumours.A revision of the BCLC classification should be introduced to provide the best treatment strategy and to ensure the best prognosis in patients with HCC.     

State of knowledge of helminth fauna of freshwater fishes of Poland

A total 89 fish and lamprey species has been recorded from Polish freshwater habitats. Twenty-seven of them (30.3%) have not been surveyed for parasitic helminthes. Some of the latter fishes are either rare or not easily accessible. Other live only in specific habitats in scattered localities. An important obstacle for studying parasite faunas of some fishes may be their status on an endangered species. Among the non-surveyed fishes, are those which have been relatively recently introduced to Poland or migrated there on their own. The present paper attempts to review all hitherto not studied helminthologically fish species, their habitats, localities and current protection status.     

高血压降压治疗目标的再认识

根据传统的高血压水平的定义,1993年WHO高血压治疗指南提出血压控制目标为<140/90mm Hg(1mm Hg=0.133kPa),但是并非所有患者都必须将血压降至同一水平,而应根据患者情况进行个体化治疗。Framingham进行的一项长达10～12年的心血管事件研究发现,第5年后,正常上限血压[收缩压(SBP     

Lack of correlation of degree of villous atrophy with severity of clinical presentation of coeliac disease

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Both the clinical presentation and the degree of mucosal damage in coeliac disease vary greatly. In view of conflicting information as to whether the mode of presentation correlates with the degree of villous atrophy, we reviewed a large cohort of patients with coeliac disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We correlated mode of presentation (classical, diarrhoea predominant or atypical/silent) with histology of duodenal biopsies and examined their trends over time. RESULTS: The cohort consisted of 499 adults, mean age 44.1 years, 68% females. The majority had silent coeliac disease (56%) and total villous atrophy (65%). There was no correlation of mode of presentation with the degree of villous atrophy (p=0.25). Sixty-eight percent of females and 58% of males had a severe villous atrophy (p=0.052). There was a significant trend over time for a greater proportion of patients presenting as atypical/silent coeliac disease and having partial villous atrophy, though the majority still had total villous atrophy. CONCLUSIONS: Among our patients the degree of villous atrophy in duodenal biopsies did not correlate with the mode of presentation, indicating that factors other than the degree of villous atrophy must account for diarrhoea in coeliac disease.