Successful initial ablation therapy contributes to survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

AIMTo evaluate the outcome predictors of percutaneous ablation therapy in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),especially to identify whether the initial treatment response contributes to the survival of the patients.METHODSThe study cohort included 153 patients with single(102)and two or three(51)HCC nodules 5 cm or less in maximum diameter.As an initial treatment,110 patients received radiofrequency ablation and 43 patients received percutaneous ethanol injection.RESULTSThe Kaplan-Meier estimates of overall 3-and 5-year survival rates were 75% and 59%,respectively.The log-rank test revealed statistically significant differences in the overall survivals according to ChildPugh class(P = 0.0275),tumor size(P = 0.0130),serum albumin level(P = 0.0060),serum protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist Ⅱ level(P = 0.0486),and initial treatment response(P = 0.0130).The independent predictors of survival were serum albumin level(risk ratio,3.216;95% CI,1.407-7.353;P = 0.0056)and initial treatment response(risk ratio,2.474;95% CI,1.076-5.692;P = 0.0330)based on the Cox proportional hazards regression models.The patients had a serum albumin level 3.5 g/dL and the 3-and 5-year survival rates of 86% and 82%.CONCLUSIONIn HCC patients treated with percutaneous ablation therapy,serum albumin level and initial treatment response are the independent outcome predictors.     

Short-term and medium-term clinical outcomes of laparoscopic-assisted and open surgery for colorectal cancer: a single center retrospective case-control study

Background

The purpose of this investigation was to compare the outcome of percutaneous radiofrequency thermal ablation therapy (PRFA) with surgical resection (SR) in the treatment of single and small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study on 231 treatment naive patients with a single HCC ≤ 3 cm who had received either curative PRFA (162 patients) or curative SR (69 patients). All patients were regularly followed up after treatment at our department with blood and radiologic tests.

Results

The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates after PRFA and SR were 95.4%, 79.6% and 63.1%, respectively in the PRFA group and 100%, 81.4% and 74.6%, respectively in the SR group. The corresponding recurrence free survival rates at 1, 3 and 5 years after PRFA and SR were 82.0%, 38.3% and 18.0%, respectively in the PRFA group and 86.0%, 47.2% and 26.0%, respectively in the SR group. In terms of overall survival and recurrence free survival, there were no significant differences between these two groups. In comparison of PRFA group patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) (n = 127) and SR group patients with LC (n = 50) and in comparison of PRFA group patients without LC (n = 35) and SR group patients without LC (n = 19), there were also no significant differences between two groups in terms of overall survival and recurrence free survival. In the multivariate analysis of the risk factors contributing to overall survival, serum albumin level was the sole significant factor. In the multivariate analysis of the risk factors contributing to recurrence free survival, presence of LC was the sole significant factor. The rate of serious adverse events in the SR group was significantly higher than that in the PRFA group (P = 0.023). Hospitalization length in the SR group was significantly longer than in the PRFA group (P = 0.013).

Conclusions

PRFA is as effective as SR in the treatment of single and small HCC, and is less invasive than SR. Therefore, PRFA could be a first choice for the treatment of single and small HCC.     

Comparing the outcomes of radiofrequency ablation and surgery in patients with a single small hepatocellular carcinoma and well-preserved hepatic function

GOALS: To compare the efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and surgical resection in a group of patients with a Child-Pugh score of 5 and a single HCC less than 4 cm in diameter. BACKGROUND: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has become a popular method for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and has been applied as an alternative primary therapy to surgical resection. STUDY: We compared outcomes for 148 patients treated with RFA (n = 55) and those treated surgically (n = 93). RESULTS: The rate of local recurrence among patients in the RFA group was significantly higher than in the surgery group (P = 0.005), while the incidence of remote recurrence was similar between the two groups (P = 0.30). The cumulative 1- and 3-year overall survival rates (P = 0.24) and the cumulative 1- and 3-year recurrence-free survival rates (P = 0.54) were not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a higher rate of local recurrence, RFA was found to be as effective as surgical resection for the treatment of single small HCC in patients with well-preserved liver function, in terms of the incidence of remote recurrence and the patients' likelihood of achieving overall and/or recurrence-free survival.     

Recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma has an increased risk of subsequent recurrence after curative treatment

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Local ablation therapy has been shown to be effective for small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, HCC recurrence is very frequent even after apparently curative treatment. In particular, recurrent HCC may be more prone to subsequent recurrence, although quantitative data are lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the difference in the risk for subsequent recurrence, if any, between primary and recurrent cases. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted of 376 patients with HCC (uninodular and 100 ng/mL, treatment other than radiofrequency ablation, HCV antibody positivity, and tumor multinodularity also remained as significant predictors. CONCLUSION: Hepatocellular carcinoma at second or later recurrence is three times as prone to subsequent recurrence as is primary HCC, when compared with adjustment for other tumor and hepatic factors.     

Prospective cohort study of transarterial chemoembolization for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma in 8510 patients

BACKGROUND & AIMS: To elucidate the survival of the patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent transcatheter arterial lipiodol chemoembolization (TACE) and to analyze the factors affecting the survivals. METHODS: During the last 8 years, a nationwide prospective cohort study was performed in 8510 patients with unresectable HCC who underwent TACE using emulsion of lipiodol and anticancer agents followed by gelatin sponge particles as an initial treatment. Exclusion criteria were extrahepatic metastases and/or any previous treatment prior to the present TACE. The primary end point was survival. The survival rates were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. The multivariate analyses for the factors affecting survival were evaluated by the Cox proportional hazard model. The mean follow-up period was 1.77 years. RESULTS: For overall survival rates by TACE, median and 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year survivals were 34 months, 82%, 47%, 26%, and 16%, respectively. Both the degree of liver damage and the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) system proposed by the Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan demonstrated good stratification of survivals (P = .0001). The multivariate analyses showed significant difference in degree of liver damage (P = .0001), alpha-fetoprotein value (P = .0001), maximum tumor size (P = .0001), number of lesions (P = .0001), and portal vein invasion (P = .0001). The last 3 factors could be replaced by TNM stage. The TACE-related mortality rate after the initial therapy was .5%. CONCLUSIONS: TACE showed safe therapeutic modality with a 5-year survival of 26% for unresectable HCC patients. The degrees of liver damage, TNM stage, and alpha-fetoprotein values were independent risk factors for patient survival.     

经动脉化学栓塞和经皮冷冻序贯治疗肝细胞癌

目的 评价经动脉化学栓塞(TACE)和经皮冷冻序贯治疗无法切除的肝细胞肝癌(HCC)的疗效.方法 将420例无法手术切除的HCC患者分为TACE-冷冻序贯治疗组290例(序贯组)和单纯冷冻组130例(冷冻组).TACE按常规操作,术后2～4周行经皮冷冻治疗.1个月及以后每2～3个月随访1次,包括肝脏超声和(或)腹部CT,并检测血清甲胎蛋白(AFP).结果 平均随访(42±17)个月(范围24～70个月),所有患者消融灶局部复发率为17%,序贯组和冷冻组分别为11%和24%(P=0.001).1、2、3、4和5年平均存活率分别为72%、57%、47%、39%和31%.序贯组1年和2年存活率(71%和61%)与冷冻组(73%和54%)相似(P值分别=0.69和0.147);而4年和5年存活率,序贯组(49%和39%)高于冷冻组(21%和23%,P=0.001).序贯组有18例肿瘤直径＞5cm的患者存活逾5年,而冷冻组无一例.全组并发症发生率为24%,序贯组和冷冻组分别为21%和26%(P=0.06).冷冻组肝出血的发生率显著高于序贯组(P=0.02),且有2例发生肝破裂.结论 冷冻治疗前先行TACE能提高冷冻消融的疗效,减少其并发症,特别是肝出血.TACE和冷冻序贯疗法可能是治疗不能切除性HCC,特别是大肝癌的较好方法 .     

Hepatocellular carcinoma ≤ 4 cm treated with radiofrequency ablation with or without percutaneous ethanol injection

Background. To compare the survival of Chinese cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ≤ 4 cm who underwent radiofrequency ablation (RFA) alone or a combination of RFA with percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI).Material and methods. Retrospective analysis was performed for 681 cases with HCC ≤ 4 cm who were treated with RFA alone or RFA combined with PEI (RFA + PEI) between 2004 and 2011.Results. As a result, 180 patients in each group were selected after propensity score matching (PSM). Higher overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were achieved by RFA + PEI compared with RFA alone (P = 0.019 and 0.009, respectively). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year cumulative OS rates were 78.0, 44.4, and 30.1% for patients in RFA group and 88.2, 58.0, and 41.1% for patients in RFA + PEI group, respectively. Besides, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year cumulative RFS rates were 77.0, 43.8, and 29.2% in RFA group, and 87.9, 57.6, and 38.4% in RFA + PEI group, respectively. The local recurrence, complete ablation and five-year mortality showed no distinct differences between RFA and RFA + PEI groups in three subgroups classified with tumor size. Moreover, Cox regression multivariate analysis results showed that sex and treatment approach were significantly related to OS, whereas sex, status of HBsAg, local recurrence, and number of tumor nodule were related to RFS.Conclusion. Therefore, the combination of RFA and PEI yielded better OS and RFS rates than RFA alone for Chinese patients with HCC ≤ 4 cm.     

Is intraoperative adjuvant therapy effective for satellite lesions in patients undergoing reduction surgery for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma?

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The effectiveness of intraoperative adjuvant therapy for satellite lesions of nonresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was investigated. METHODOLOGY: We randomly assigned 30 eligible patients with advanced-stage HCC with multiple intrahepatic lesions who underwent reduction hepatectomy in conjunction with either intraoperative adjuvant therapy (hepatectomy plus microwave coagulonecrotic therapy or radiofrequency ablation) or postoperative adjuvant therapy (transcatheter arterial embolization). The cumulative survival rates were obtained for both groups using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. To evaluate whether the intraoperative adjuvant therapy significantly influenced the prognosis, we reviewed changes in clinical factors by multiple regression analysis using the Cox's proportional hazard model. Ap value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The 3- and 5-year cumulative survival rates in patients who underwent intraoperative adjuvant therapy were 35.7% and 7.7%, while those in patients who underwent postoperative adjuvant therapy were 35.0% and 0%, respectively. The difference was not statistically significant. The level of a-fetoprotein, maximum tumor size, number of tumors, and clinical stage were found to be independent factors affecting survival after diagnosis. Intraoperative adjuvant therapy was not an independent prognostic factor. CONCLUSIONS: The survival rates did not differ between the patients who underwent intraoperative adjuvant therapy and postoperative adjuvant therapy for satellite lesions of non-resectable HCC.     

Transarterial chemoembolization for inoperable,early stage hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with Child-Pugh grade A and B: results of a comparative study in 96 Chinese patients

OBJECTIVE: The efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in prolongation of survival is controversial. We conducted a comparative study to determine whether TACE treatment had any survival benefit for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and with relatively preserved liver function. METHODS: In all, 96 patients with unresectable HCC of Okuda stage I or II and Child-Pugh grade A or B were recruited. A total of 80 patients (group 1) who received TACE were compared to 16 patients (group 2) who were treated conservatively. RESULTS: The median survival time of group 1 patients was significantly longer than that of group 2 patients (31.2 vs 14.1 months respectively, p = 0.0126). The cumulative survival rates at 6 months, 1 yr, 2 yr, 3 yr, and 4 yr of group 1 compared to group 2 were as follows: 93.8% versus 62.5% (p = 0.002); 86.3% versus 62.5% (p = 0.023); 78.8% versus 50% (p = 0.017); 57.5% versus 50% (p = ns); and 51.3% versus 43.8% (p = ns), respectively. Tumor response was observed in 28% of patients receiving TACE. Patients with higher pretreatment albumin levels, lower pretreatment alpha-fetoprotein levels, and Okuda stage I disease were associated with a favorable response to TACE. CONCLUSION: TACE treatment improved survival in patients with unresectable HCC in the early stages and with relatively preserved liver function.     

Short and long term efficacy of high intensity focused ultrasound therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the short and long term efficacy of high intensity focused ultrasound therapy (HIFU) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Patients with surgically unresectable HCC received either HIFU plus supportive treatment (HIFU group, n = 151) or supportive treatment only (control group, n = 30), according to their willingness. Short term efficacy, including improvement in tumor imaging parameters, decrease in serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels, symptom relief (i.e. Karnofsky Performance Status and numerical rating scales) and response rates, and long term efficacy, including an increase in survival rates and improvement of quality of life (QOL), was monitored. RESULTS: Tumor imaging parameters, serum AFP levels and symptom scores improved significantly in the HIFU group compared with the control group (all P < 0.05). In the HIFU group, a complete and a partial response were achieved in 28.5% (n = 43) and 60.3% (n = 91) of cases, respectively, while the rates were 0% and 16.7% (n = 5), respectively, in the control group. The overall response rate (88.8%) was significantly greater in the HIFU group (16.7%) than in the control group (P < 0.01). In addition, the 1- and 2-year survival rates were 50.0% and 30.9%, respectively, in the HIFU group, which were significantly greater than those (3.4% and 0%, respectively) in the control group (both P < 0.01). The QOL score was 83.1 +/- 8.0 at 3 months after HIFU, which was significantly greater than the pre-HIFU score (67.7 +/- 5.9) and the score at 3 months after treatment (69.0 +/- 8.5) in the control group (both P < 0.05). No severe complications occurred during and after HIFU. CONCLUSION: HIFU is an effective and safe ablation therapy with satisfactory short and long term efficacy for patients with advanced HCC.     

Local radiotherapy as a complement to incomplete transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in locally advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

PURPOSE: In order to determine the effect of additional radiotherapy (RT) after an incomplete transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in an unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the treatment results of patients receiving TACE plus RT were analyzed and compared with those treated with TACE alone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and five patients with an unresectable HCC were treated with TACE from January 1992 to December 2002. In 73 of these patients, the TACE was incomplete. Among them, TACE was repeatedly performed in 35 patients (TACE group), and the remaining 38 patients were also treated with local RT (TACERT group). The patients were either in stage III or IVa, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group 2 or less, and Child-Pugh class A or B. The average frequency of TACE prior to RT was 2 and the RT was started within 7-10 days after the TACE. RESULTS: The 2-year survival rate was significantly higher in the TACERT than in the TACE group (36.8 % vs. 14.3%, P=0.001). According to the tumor size, the 2-year survival rates in the TACERT and TACE groups were 63% vs. 42% in 5-7 cm (P=0.22), 50% vs. 0% in 8-10 cm (P=0.03), and 17% vs. 0% in larger than 10 cm (P=0.0002) respectively. CONCLUSION: There was a significantly improved survival rate in the TACERT group of unresectable HCC patients than in the TACE group, particularly in case of tumors > or =8 cm in diameter. Therefore, RT in addition to TACE is strongly recommended for patients with an unresectable HCC.     

Preventive effects of vitamin K on recurrent disease in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma arising from hepatitis C viral infection

BACKGROUND: Despite the progression of therapeutic approaches, a high frequency of recurrence is what determines the long-term prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, the chemopreventive effects of vitamin K2 on the recurrence and survival of patients with HCC after curative therapy were evaluated. METHODS: Sixty patients who were diagnosed to be free of HCC after radiofrequency ablation therapy or surgery were randomly assigned to either the vitamin K2 group (n = 30 patients) or the control group (n = 30 patients). All patients were positive for the hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody and hepatitis B surface antigen positive patients were excluded from this study. Patients in the vitamin K2 group received an oral dose of menatetrenone at 45 mg per day. Disease recurrence and the survival rates were analyzed in patients with HCC. RESULTS: The cumulative recurrence-free rates in the vitamin K2 group were 92.3% at 12 months, 48.6% at 24 months and 38.8% at 36 months; and those in the control group were 71.7%, 35.9% and 9.9%, respectively (P = 0.045). The cumulative survival rates in the vitamin K2 group were 100% at 12 months, 95.0% at 24 months and 77.5% at 36 months; and those in the control group were 95.8%, 90.2% and 66.4%, respectively (P = 0.70). CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin K2 may have a suppressive effect on the recurrence of HCC and a beneficial effect on tumor recurrence. However, there was no significant difference in the survival rates. The chemopreventive effects of vitamin K2 are not sufficient. The development of a further regimen such as combination therapy is required.     

Combined TACE and PEI for palliative treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To assess whether the efFectiveness of a combination of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is superior to TACE alone a randomized controlled trial was performed. METHODS: The effect of combination therapy on long-term survival rates and duration of hospitalization was evaluated in 52 previously untreated HCCs, randomly allocated to TACE-PEI (27 pts) or TACE alone (25 pts). RESULTS: The cumulative survival rate of the TACE group was 75.8% at 6 mo, 62.9% at 12 mo, and 18.0% at 24 mo and of the TACE-PEI group 76.9%, 61.5%, and 38.7%, respectively. Comparison of overall survival in both groups showed no statistically significant difference. Regarding the patients with HCCs Okuda stage Ⅰ (n = 26), the median survival of the TACE-PEI group was significantly longer (>24 mo, median not yet reached in the study period) compared to the TACE group (18.4 mo [range 11.6-21.7 mo]; P= 0.04). TACE-PEI reduced the relative risk for mortality to 0.4 (95%CI 0.15-0.96) compared to patients who received TACE alone. Median survival in patients with HCCs Okuda stage Ⅱ or Ⅲ was 5.0 mo in the TACE group (1.7 mo-not defined) compared to 10.4 mo in the TACE-PEI group. CONCLUSION: The combination TACE-PEI improved survival time compared to TACE alone. Our study revealed a statistically significant improved survival in HCCs Okuda stage Ⅰ. Sde effects were minor and the combination therapy did not prolong duration of hospitalization considerably.     

Sequential use of transarterial chemoembolization and percutaneous cryosurgery for hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM： To evaluate the efficacy of sequential use of transarterial chemoembolization （TACE） and percutaneous cryosurgery for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. METHODS： Four hundred and twenty patients were enrolled in this study. The patients, who were considered to have unresectable tumors due to their location or size or comorbidity, were divided into sequential TACE-cryosurgery （sequential） group （n = 290） and cryosurgery alone （cryoalone） group （n = 130）. Patients in the sequential group tended to have larger tumors and a greater number of tumors than those in the cryo-alone group. Tumors larger than 10 cm in diameter were only seen in the sequential group. TACE was performed with the routine technique and percutaneous cryosurgery was conducted under the guidance of ultrasound 2-4 wk after TACE. RESULTS： During a mean follow-up period of 42 ± 17 mo （range, 24-70 mo）, the local recurrence rate at the ablated area was 17% for all patients, 11% and 23% for patients in sequential group and cryoalone groups, respectively （P = 0.001）. The overall 1-, 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-year survival rate was 72%, 57%, 47%, 39% and 31%, respectively. The 1- and 2-year survival rates （71% and 61%） in sequential group were similar to those （73% and 54%） in cryo-alone group （P = 0.69 and 0.147）, while the 4- and 5-year survival rates were 49% and 39% in sequential group, higher than those （29% and 23%） in cryo-alone group （P = 0.001）. Eighteen patients with large HCC （〉 5 cm in diameter） survived for more than 5 years after sequential TACE while no patient with large HCC （〉 5 cm in diameter） survived more than 5 years after cryosurgery. The overall complication rate was 24%, and the complication rates were 21% and 26% for the sequential and cryo-alone groups, respectively （P = 0.06）. The incidence of hepatic bleeding was higher in cryo-alone group than in sequential group （P = 0.02）. Liver crack only occurred in two patients of the cryoalone group. CONCLUSION： Pre-cryosurgical TACE can increase the cryoablation efficacy and decrease its adverse effects, especially bleeding. Sequential TACE and cryosurgery may be the better procedure for unresectable HCC, especially for large HCC.     

High-dose hepatitis B immunoglobulin therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma with hepatitis B virus-DNA/hepatitis B e antigen-positive patients after living donor liver transplantation

AIM: To investigate the impact of high-dose hepatitis B immunoglobulin(HBIG) on hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) and hepatitis B virus(HBV) recurrence and overall survival after living donor liver transplantation(LDLT).METHODS: We investigated 168 patients who underwent LDLT due to HCC, and who were HBV-DNA/hepatitis B e antigen(HBe Ag)-positive, from January 2008 to December 2013. After assessing whether the patients met the Milan criteria, they were assigned to the low-dose HBIG group and high-dose HBIG group. Using the propensity score 1:1 matching method, 38 and 18 pairs were defined as adhering to and not adhering to the Milan criteria. For each pair, HCC recurrence, HBV recurrence and overall survival were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method and the log rank test according to the HBIG dose. RESULTS: Among those who met the Milan criteria, the 6-mo, 1-year, and 3-year HCC recurrence-free survival rates were 88.9%, 83.2%, and 83.2% in the low-dose HBIG group and 97.2%, 97.2%, and 97.2% in the high-dose HBIG group, respectively(P = 0.042).In contrast, among those who did not meet the Milan criteria, HCC recurrence did not differ according to the HBIG dose(P = 0.937). Moreover, HBV recurrence and overall survival did not differ according to the HBIG dose among those who met(P = 0.317 and 0.190, respectively) and did not meet(P = 0.350 and 0.987, respectively) the Milan criteria. CONCLUSION: High-dose HBIG therapy can reduce HCC recurrence in HBV-DNA/HBe Ag-positive patients after LDLT.     

Prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma with bile duct tumor thrombus after R0 resection:a matched study

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with bile duct tumor thrombus (BDTT) is rare. The present study aimed to determine post-surgical prognoses in HCC patients with BDTT, as outcomes are currently unclear.
METHODS: We compared the prognoses of 110 HCC patients without BDTT (group A) to 22 cases with BDTT (group B). The two groups were matched in age, gender, tumor etiology, size, number, portal vascular invasion, and TNM stage. Addi-tionally, 28 HCC patients with BDTT were analyzed to identify prognostic risk factors.
RESULTS: The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 90.9%, 66.9%, and 55.9% for group A and 81.8%, 50.0%, and 37.5% for group B, respectively. The median survival time in groups A and B was 68.8 and 31.4 months, respectively (P=0.043). The patients for group B showed higher levels of serum total bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyl transferase, a larger hepatectomy range, and a higher rate of anatomical resection. In subgroup analyses of patients with BDTT who underwent R0 resection, TNM stage III-IV was an independent risk factor for overall survival; these patients had worse prognoses than those with TNM stage I-II after R0 resection (hazard ratio=6.056,P=0.014). Besides, univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that non-R0 resection and TNM stage III-IV were independent risk fac-tors for both disease-free survival and overall survival of 28 HCC patients with BDTT. The median overall survival time of patients with BDTT who underwent R0 resection was longer than that of patients who did not undergo R0 resection (31.0 vs 4.0 months,P=0.007).
CONCLUSIONS: R0 resection prolonged survival time in HCC patients with BDTT, although prognosis remains poor. For such patients, R0 resection is an important treatment that determines long-term survival.     

Indications for hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma — What stage of the disease is the best indication for surgery?

To determine the clinical and tumor stage of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that is the best indication for surgery, the postoperative long-term outcomes of patients who underwent hepatic resection were examined retrospectively. Of 975 patients with HCC who underwent regional therapy, 384 patients (39%) received hepatic resection (HR), 534 (55%) had transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), and the remaining 57 (6%) received percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) into the tumor. The criteria defined by liver Cancer Study Group of Japan was used for staging and liver functional reserve (i.e., clinical staging).¹ In the 133 patients with stage I HCC, there were no significant differences among the survivals of the HR, TACE, and PEI groups. In the 314 patients with stage II HCC, the 5- and 7-year survival rates were 51% and 46% in the HR group, 23% and 10% in the TACE group, and 0% and 0% in the PEI group. The survival of the HR group was significantly better than the survivals of the TACE and PEI groups (P < 0.001). The 5- and 10-year survivals of the stage II HCC patients who had HR were 64% and 47% in the clinical stage I (i.e., good liver function) group, significantly better than the 5; and 10-year survivals (32% and 23%) in the clinical stage II (i.e., bad liver function) group (P < 0.0001). Patients with good liver function in stage II are expected to have better survival and are considered to be the most suitable for HR.     

Milan criteria are useful predictors for favorable outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing liver transplantation after transarterial chemoembolization

INTRODUCTION Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major global health problem involving more than 500 000 new cases a year. Several treatment modalities, such as liver transplantation (LT), surgical resection, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and percutaneou…     

Comparison between chemoembolization combined with radiotherapy and chemoembolization alone for large hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To investigate the efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with radiotherapy for unresectable large hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: From June 1994 to June 1999, a total of 76 patients with large unresectable HCC were treated with TACE followed by external-beam irradiation. 89 patients with large HCC, who underwent TACE alone during the same period, served as the control group. Clinical features, therapeutic modalities, acute effects and survival rates were analyzed and compared between TACE plus irradiation group and TACE alone group. A multivariate analysis of nine clinical variables and one treatment variable (irradiation) was performed by the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: The clinical features and therapeutic modalities except irradiation between the two groups were comparable (P>0.05). The objective response rate (RR) in TACE plus irradiation group was higher than that in TACE alone group (47.4 % vs 28.1 %, P<0.05). The overall survival rates in TACE plus irradiation group (64.0 %, 28.6 %, and 19.3 % at 1, 3, 5 years, respectively) were significantly higher than those in TACE alone group (39.9 %, 9.5 %, and 7.2 %, respectively, P=0.0001). Cox proportional hazards model analysis showed that tumor extension and Child grade were significant and were independent negative predictors of survival, while irradiation was an independent positive predictor of survival. CONCLUSION: TACE combined with radiotherapy is more effective than TACE alone, and is a promising treatment for unresectable large HCC.     

Anatomic versus non-anatomic resection for small single hepatocellular carcinomas

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Anatomical hepatectomy for small hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) is widely preferred but evidence concerning its benefits is inadequate. The aim of this study was to determine whether patient outcome is influenced by the method used to treat small single HCCs. METHODOLOGY: An analysis was performed on 168 patients who underwent curative hepatectomy for a single HCC smaller than 5cm between Jan 1998 and Dec 2001 at Seoul National University Hospital. Ninety-nine of these patients underwent anatomic resection and 69 patients non-anatomic resection. Overall survival rates, disease-free survival rates, and prognostic factors for survival and recurrence were analyzed. RESULTS: The cumulative 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 86.9%, 73.6% and 65.5% in the anatomic resection group, and 88.4%, 63.8% and 49.7%% in the non-anatomic resection group, respectively (P = 0.032). And, the cumulative 1-, 3- and 5-year disease-free survival rates were 77.8%, 58.6% and 54.4% in the anatomic resection group and 62.3%, 42.0% and 28.6% in the non-anatomic resection group, respectively (P = 0.003). Anatomic resection was confirmed to be an independent favorable factor of disease-free survival by multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Anatomic resection for single small HCCs is superior to non-anatomic resection.