Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization combined with simultaneous cone beam computed tomography-guided multipolar microwave ablation for massive hepatocellular carcinoma (≥10 cm): Safety and primary clinical results

PurposeTo explore the safety and clinical efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE)combined with simultaneous cone beam computed tomography (CBCT)-guided multipolar microwave ablation (MWA)in the treatment of massive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Materials and methodsRecords of nine patients who underwent TACE combined with simultaneous CBCT-guided multipolar MWA for massive HCC, between January and June 2015, were retrospectively reviewed. Technical success rate, blood levels of liver function indicators, complications, and tumor response one month after treatmentwere investigated.ResultsThe technical success rate of TACE combined with simultaneous MWA was 100%. The mean procedure time was 195.0 min (range, 125–350 min), the mean hospital stay after the treatment was 4.0 ± 1.0 days (range, 3–7 days), and no serious complications occurred. Minor complications were experienced by some patients but were relieved after conservative treatment. One month after treatment, enhanced CT revealed a complete response rate of 66.7% (6/9), a partial response rate of 22.2% (2/9), and a stable disease rate of 11.1% (1/9). Mild and reversible injury of liver function occurred in these patients.ConclusionTACE combined with simultaneous CBCT-guided MWA for massive HCC was feasible and safe, and yielded a high response rate.     

Analysis of factors affecting the prognosis of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to investigate the prognostic factors for transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Materials and methodsThe variables that may affect overall survival (OS), such as age, gender, AFP, Child Pugh classification, body mass index, HBV-DNA, HbeAg, tumor number, tumor diameter, BCLC stage, embolization method, ablation therapy, and targeted therapy, were analyzed by single factor and many factor COX regression. In addition, predictive factors of OS were stratified and a Kaplan-Meier survival curve was drawn.ResultsAmong the 136 patients, the median follow-up time was 14.5 months (range: 2–72 months). HCC patients with the tumor diameter <3 ​cm had the highest survival rate, followed by patients with a tumor diameter of 3–5 ​cm; the survival rate of patients with the tumor diameter (greater than 5 ​cm) was the lowest. Among the BCLC stages, stage A patients had the highest survival rate, followed by stage B and stage C patients, which had the lowest survival rate.The survival rate of Child Pugh grade A patients was higher than those with Child Pugh grade B. Compared with patients who did not undergo ablation treatment, the survival rate of patients with combined ablation treatment was relatively high. The survival rate of patients receiving drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) treatment was higher than those receiving conventional transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE) treatment. Additionally, repeated TACE treatment improved the OS rate of patients. These six factors were related to patient prognosis and the differences were statistically significant (P ​< ​0.05).ConclusionsTumor diameter, BCLC stage, TACE repetition, and TACE combined with ablation were independent prognostic factors of OS.     

Apatinib Combined With Transarterial Chemoembolization in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Portal Vein Tumor Thrombus: A Multicenter Retrospective Study

PurposeStudies focusing on the effects of combined transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) + the tyrosine kinase inhibitor apatinib in the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with the location and extent of portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) assessed as the main variable, are rare. This multicenter, retrospective, controlled study was performed to compare the efficacy and tolerability of TACE + apatinib and TACE alone in patients with HCC and PVTT.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed data from patients with nonresectable HCC and PVTT who underwent treatment with TACE + apatinib or TACE alone between January 2015 and January 2016. Outcomes in patients who underwent TACE + apatinib were compared with the outcomes of patients who underwent TACE alone, by using the Kaplan–Meier method, according to PVTT type: PVTT in the main portal vein (type A), PVTT in the first-order portal vein branch (type B), and PVTT in second- or lower-order portal vein branches (type C).FindingsOne hundred eighty-eight patients were included in the analysis; 85 underwent treatment with TACE + apatinib and 103 underwent treatment with TACE. TACE + apatinib was associated with a significantly greater median survival compared with TACE alone in patients with PVTT type B (12.2 vs 7.5 months; P < 0.001) or type C (13.7 vs 7.2 months; P = 0.006). Along with treatment strategies and α-fetoprotein, the absence of main PVTT was an independent factor predictive of survival on uni- and multivariate analysis. Apatinib-related grade 3 adverse events occurred in 27 patients (31.8%).ImplicationsTACE + apatinib can be of potential benefit to patients with advanced HCC with tumor thrombus in the first- and lower-order portal vein branches. Adverse events with apatinib need to be monitored during application, despite the manageable appearance.     

Stratification of portal vein-invaded hepatocellular carcinoma treated with transarterial chemoembolization monotherapy

PurposeThe study aimed to establish a prognostic prediction model and an artificial neural network (ANN) model to determine who will benefit from transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) monotherapy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) invading portal vein.MethodsTreatment-naïve patients with HCC and portal vein invasion who were treated with TACE monotherapy at hospital A as training cohort and hospital B as validation cohort were included. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). In training cohort, independent risk factors associated with OS were identified by univariate and multivariate analysis. The prognostic prediction (PP) and ANN models based on the independent risk factors were established to find out who will benefit most from TACE monotherapy. The type of portal vein tumor thrombosis was classified based on the Cheng’s Classification. The accuracy of the models was validated in validation cohort.ResultsTotally, 242 patients (training cohort: n ​= ​159; validation cohort: n ​= ​83) were included. The median OS was 7.1 and 8.5 months in training and validation cohort, respectively. In training cohort, the PP model was established based on the following five independent risk factors: Cheng’s Classification, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score, maximum tumor size, number of HCC nodules, and Child-Pugh stage. PP score of 17.5 was identified as cut-off point and patients were divided into two groups by PP score <17.5 and >17.5 in survival benefit and prognostication (8.8 vs. 5.5 months; P ​< ​0.001). These five factors were included and ranked based on the importance associated with OS in the ANN model. Both of the two models received high accuracy after validation.ConclusionsPortal vein invaded HCC patients with PP score <17.5 may benefit most from TACE monotherapy. For these patients, TACE monotherapy should be considered.     

Multipronged ethanol ablation combined with TACE for intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma

Purpose: To retrospectively investigate the efficacy of multipronged ethanol ablation with or without transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in the treatment of intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (3.1-5.0?cm in diameter) at high-risk locations .

Material and methods: From March 2009 to April 2014, 25 consecutive patients with intermediate HCC who underwent multipronged ethanol ablation combined with TACE were included in the combination treatment group, while 50 patients who underwent multipronged ethanol ablation alone were included in the control group.

Results: Primary technique effectiveness was achieved in 70 patients (25/25, 100% in the combination treatment group; 45/50, 90% in the control group; p?=?.162). The local tumor progression (LTP) rates at 1, 3, 5, and 7?years were 8.0%, 24.0%, 24.0%, and 24.0% in the combination treatment group, respectively, which were significantly lower than those in the control group (24.4%, 44.1%, 66.5% and 66.5%, respectively; p?=?.043). However, no significant differences of overall survival and disease-free survival were found between the two groups (p?=?.996 and .974, respectively).

Conclusion: Multipronged ethanol ablation combined with TACE could improve local tumor control for patients with intermediate HCC at high-risk locations when compared with multipronged ethanol ablation alone, although the survival outcomes were comparable.     

Effects of combining transarterial chemoembolization with percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma abutting the diaphragm

Objective: This study aims to explore the clinical effectiveness of a combination therapy of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy (PMCT) in treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) abutting the diaphragm. Material and methods: Six cases with HCC were treated with TACE followed by PMCT one month later with the aid of artificial pneumothorax. Results: CT/MRI revealed complete necrosis in the tumor lesions and the treated tumor margins (≥5?mm). Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels markedly declined in patients who originally had higher serum AFP levels. Postoperative complications such as fever, mild hepatic dysfunction and pleural effusion were alleviated within a short period of time. All patients were closely monitored through follow-up; all patients survived, except for one patient who received a liver transplantation. Conclusions: As lesions are either invisible or poorly visible in sonography, determining an effective treatment for HCC abutting the diaphragm remains a particular challenge. TACE and PMCT combined therapy with the aid of artificial pneumothorax proved to be an available treatment option.     

超声引导下经皮注射无水乙醇联合微波消融治疗甲状腺良性囊实性肿物

目的 观察超声引导下经皮注射无水乙醇（PEI）联合微波消融（MWA）治疗甲状腺良性囊实性肿物的价值。方法 前瞻性纳入100例拟接受超声引导下消融治疗的甲状腺单发良性囊实性肿物患者,随机将其均分为PEI组（行PEI联合MWA序贯消融治疗）和对照组（行单纯MWA治疗）,观察治疗前、后组内一般资料差异及组间疗效差异,评估序贯消融价值。结果 对100个甲状腺肿物均顺利完成超声引导下消融。随访期间PEI组5例、对照组3例失访。PEI组MWA用时、MWA总能量及治疗中患者疼痛程度均低于对照组（P均<0.05）。治疗后1、3、6及12个月,PEI组肿物体积缩小率（VRR）均高于对照组（P均<0.05）。治疗后3、6及12个月,2组肿物体积与治疗前差异均有统计学意义（P均<0.05）。治疗后12个月,PEI组与对照组治疗成功率分别为95.56%（43/45）和89.36%（42/47）,组间差异无统计学意义（P=0.451）。治疗后3、6及12个月,2组颈部美观评分及症状评分与治疗前差异均有统计学意义（P均<0.05）。PEI组并发症率为6.67%（3/45）,对照组为14.89%（7/47）,前者低于后者（P<0.05）。结论 超声引导下PEI联合MWA序贯消融治疗甲状腺良性囊实性肿物效果优于单纯MWA。     

门静脉支架同步125I粒子条植入序贯经导管动脉化疗栓塞术治疗肝癌伴门静脉癌栓

目的观察门静脉支架同步¹²⁵I粒子条植入序贯经导管动脉化疗栓塞术(TACE)治疗肝细胞癌(HCC)伴门静脉癌栓的临床价值。方法对15例HCC伴门静脉癌栓患者行门静脉支架同步¹²⁵I粒子条植入序贯TACE治疗,并随访至死亡;观察技术成功率、并发症,分析生存时间、支架通畅时间、累积生存率及支架通畅率。结果15例手术均成功,术中未见严重并发症。术后中位生存期为8.5个月;1、3、6、9、12、15、18和20个月累积生存率分别为100%、86.67%、73.33%、46.67%、26.67%、13.33%、6.67%和0;中位支架通畅中位时间8.5个月,1、3、6、9、12、15和18个月支架累积通畅率为100%、86.67%、80.00%、80.00%、53.33%、46.67%和40.00%。结论门静脉支架同步¹²⁵I粒子条植入序贯TACE治疗HCC伴门静脉癌栓安全、可行,并可延长支架通畅时间和生存期。     

肝动脉化疗栓塞联合冷循环微波刀治疗肝癌

目的 评价肝动脉化疗栓塞(TACE)联合冷循环微波刀治疗肝癌的效果。方法 对136例肝癌患者采用TACE联合冷循环微波刀治疗,术后随访观察其疗效。结果 经TACE联合冷循环微波刀治疗后136例患者中肿瘤结节完全坏死者占86.76%(118/136)。结论 TACE联合冷循环微波刀治疗是肝癌的有效治疗方法。     

Neoadjuvant Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE) before Percutaneous MR-guided Laser-induced Thermotherapy (LITT): Results in Large-sized Primary and Secondary Liver Tumors

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical value of neoadjuvant transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) before MR-guided laser-induced thermotherapy (LITT) for different large-sized liver tumors.Materials and methods: Repeated TACE were performed in 289 patients (mean 4.1 per patient) with unresectable HCC (n = 48) or liver metastases (n = 241) in a neoadjuvant intention using 10 mg/m² mitomycin as chemotherapeutic agent and 10 ml/m² lipiodol and microspheres for vessel occlusion. Tumor volume was measured by MR-imaging. As soons as the diameter of the tumor was observed to have decreased to less than 50 mm, the patients were treated with MRI-guided LITT 4 to 6 weeks after embolization.Survival rates of the different liver tumors of the combined protocol were compared to the results of the patients who were treated only with TACE or with the results of the patients who were treated directly with LITT.Results: In the neoadjuvant group repeated TACE enabled a reduction in tumor size and tumor perfusion in 166 patients (80 cases of metastases of colorectal cancer, 39 cases of metastases of breast cancer, 12 cases of metastases of other primary tumors, 3 cases of carcinoids and 32 cases of HCC), forming the basis of the performance of 322 (mean 2.0) MR-guided LITT procedures.The median survival period for patients with HCC was after the first treatment 25.0 months for the TACE group, 33.3 months for the LITT group and was statistically significant higher with 36.0 months in the patients with the combined treatment.In contrast to this the median survival for patients with colorectal liver metastases was 15.2 months for the TACE group, 23.6 months for the neoadjuvant treated patients and 32.6 months for the patients treated only with LITT.Conclusion: The combined treatment protocol (TACE followed by MR-guided LITT) appears to be a safe and effective treatment of large unresectable liver tumors. The combination of TACE and LITT results in significant superior survival rates in comparison to the results of TACE alone. HCC showed a better response to the treatment than liver metastases.     

肝动脉化疗栓塞术联合仑伐替尼治疗中晚期肝细胞肝癌的临床疗效及安全性分析

目的比较肝动脉化疗栓塞术(transcatheter arterial chemoembolization,TACE)联合仑伐替尼与TACE单独治疗中晚期肝细胞肝癌(HCC)的临床疗效及安全性。方法收集4家医院HCC患者的临床资料,并根据治疗方式分为TACE联合仑伐替尼组52例和TACE治疗组51例。比较两组患者的肿瘤应答情况、生存情况及不良反应。结果联合组的客观缓解率(ORR)和疾病控制率(DCR)均显著高于TACE组(P<0.001)。两组患者的中位无疾病进展时间(PFS)分别为8.1和4.2个月,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);中位总体生存时间(OS)分别为17.8和10.1个月,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。随访过程中的不良反应均为I～II度,予对症处理后均得到有效控制。结论仑伐替尼联合TACE方案可有效延长中晚期HCC患者生存期,且耐受性良好。     

Safety and efficacy of microwave ablation for periductal hepatocellular carcinoma with intraductal cooling of the central bile ducts through a percutaneous transhepatic cholangial drainage tube

Background and aimsBiliary thermal injury caused by microwave ablation (MWA) for a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) close to the central bile ducts always results in severe complications and leads to mortality. Some studies have demonstrated that intraductal cooling of the biliary tract with chilled saline during thermal ablation can successfully prevent these complications. In this study, we present a novel bile duct cooling technique through a percutaneous transhepatic cholangial drainage (PTCD) tube for preventing biliary thermal injury caused by MWA, and compare the feasibility and safety of the intraductal cooling technique when performed with a PTCD tube and with an endoscopic nasobiliary drainage (ENBD) tube.MethodsParticipants were randomly assigned to undergo MWA of HCC with intraductal chilled saline perfusion through a PTCD tube or an ENBD tube. The main study outcomes were bile duct complications related to MWA and local tumor recurrence. p value < 0.05 was considered to indicate a statistically significant difference.ResultsA total of 23 patients with an HCC (23 nodules) close to a central bile duct were enrolled in this study. Of these patients, 12 had a PTCD tube and 11 had an ENBD tube placed into the hepatic duct close to the lesions. There were no PTCD- and ENBD-related mortality cases. There was no complication related to the PTCD procedure; however, 3 patients (27.27%) developed acute pancreatitis and 1 patient (9.09%) had hemorrhage in the ENBD group (p = 0.037). One patient (8.33%) in the PTCD group had bile leakage and 2 patients (18.18%) in the ENBD group developed a biloma. Within 5 years, 1 patient in the PTCD group and 2 patients in the ENBD group had local recurrence. There was no significant difference in local recurrence, nonlocal hepatic recurrence, mortality rate, or median cumulative overall survival between the 2 groups.ConclusionsThe intraductal cooling technique using a PTCD tube is a feasible and effective method for preventing bile duct thermal injury caused by MWA for an HCC close to the central bile ducts. It does not increase local recurrence and may be safer than intraductal cooling through an ENBD tube.     

Relationship between circulating tumor cells undergoing EMT and short-term efficacy following interventional treatment in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

ObjectiveA growing number of studies have indicated that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotypes and the number of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are significant indicators of tumor characteristics and treatment efficacy, and thus have a broad range of potential applications in the diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumors. The value of data on CTC phenotypes and CTC counts in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and assessment of efficacy after comprehensive interventional therapy remains unclear.MethodsData of 107 patients who exhibited space-occupying lesions in the liver on enhanced CT/MRI scans at the Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital (a tertiary medical center) between August 2017 and October 2018, were retrospectively analyzed. All enrolled patients were treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with microwave ablation (MWA). An imFISH CTC assay was used to isolate and count CTCs with different EMT phenotypes in the patients’ peripheral blood, which facilitated an analysis of the value of CTC phenotype and CTC count data in the diagnosis or treatment of HCC.ResultsThe CTC count and EMT phenotypes in HCC patients were not associated with patient characteristics such as age, sex, Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)-DNA status, alcohol consumption history, Aspartate Transaminase (AST) to Platelet Ratio Index (APRI) score, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score, Child-Pugh score, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), number and size of tumors, vascular invasion, or metastasis (P ​> ​0.05). The CTC count and EMT phenotypes in HCC patients before treatment were not predictive of short-term efficacy (P ​> ​0.05). Comprehensive interventional therapy reduced the total CTC count and mesenchymal CTC count (P ​= ​0.034 and 0.022, respectively).ConclusionTACE in combination with ablation reduced the total CTC count and mesenchymal CTC count. The CTC count and EMT phenotypes may be associated with long-term efficacy.     

基于影像学和血清学特征构建的列线图模型可较好预测原发性肝细胞癌的微血管浸润

  目的   探讨术前基于影像学和血清学特征构建的列线图模型对肝癌微血管浸润(MVI)的预测价值。   方法   回顾性分析2015年1月~2020年12月于中山市人民医院接受切除或肝移植的548例肝细胞癌(HCC)患者的临床资料,最终纳入315例肝癌MVI患者,年龄53.2±11.5岁,肿瘤最大直径3.7~7.0 cm。收集患者临床及影像学资料并进行分析,采取单因素与多因素Logistic分析,筛查出能预测MVI的独立风险因素,构建预测HCC中MVI的列线图模型,利用ROC曲线、校准曲线和决策曲线对模型进行评估。   结果   MVI (+)患者的中位生存时间为13月(95%CI:8.1~17.9),1、3、5年无病生存率分别为50.6%、38.5%和30.9%(P < 0.05);MVI (-)患者的中位生存时间为47月(95%CI:32.7~61.3),1、3、5年无病生存率分别为77.9%、62.3%和38.8%(P < 0.05)。多因素Logistic回归分析显示,更大的肿瘤体积、突破肝外生长、缺乏或不完整假包膜、存在动脉期瘤周强化以及术前过高的球蛋白值是MVI (+)的独立危险因素(P < 0.05)。最终模型效能曲线下面积为0.895,95%CI为0.859-0.930,准确性为85.1%,敏感度为85.9%,特异性为84.1%。校准曲线显示预测概率与病理结果MVI (+)/MVI (-)概率有良好的一致性。决策曲线显示模型具有良好的临床应用价值。   结论   构建的列线图及预测模型能较好地术前预测MVI (+)的概率,可以根据MVI发生的风险调整HCC的治疗计划,以优化生存结果。      

Low Psoas-Muscle index is associated with decreased survival in hepatocellular carcinoma treated with transarterial chemoembolization

PurposeSkeletal muscle index (SMI) is a promising predictor of clinical outcomes in patients with malignant diseases. As a simpler surrogate of sarcopenia-psoas muscle index (PMI), its predict value for overall survival (OS) after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been reported. To determine if changes in the PMI predicted OS in individuals with HCC treated with TACE.Patients and MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed in HCC patients treated with TACE between January 2018 and March 2019. The survival curve according to PMI was estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method and then compared by the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazards models were conducted to identify the prognostic factors for OS. Furthermore, the predictive abilities of PMI and SMI were compared by using Harrell’s concordance index (C-index).ResultsTwo hundred and twenty-eight patients (175 men, mean age 59 ± 11 years) were analysed. The OS was less in patients with low PMI than those with high PMI (median OS: 16.9 vs. 38.5 months, p < .001). Multivariate analysis found that either PMI (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45–0.91; p < .001) or SMI (HR = 0.51; 95% CI, 0.36–0.72; p < .001) was significantly associated with OS. In the multivariate analysis, the C-index for PMI was 0.78 and 0.79 for SMI (p = .985).ConclusionPMI is a simple tool to predict OS in HCC patients treated with TACE. The predictive ability of PMI is comparable to that of SMI.

Key messages

1. Low psoas-muscle index is associated with decreased overall survival in hepatocellular carcinoma treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).
2. Psoas-muscle index has advantages of being faster and easier to acquire, which thus makes it more likely to achieve widespread clinical application.

     

Changes in Doppler parameters of portal pressure after interventional management of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has many options for management; some of them are complicated by development of portal hypertension (PHT). Doppler ultrasound is an effective method to diagnose and monitor PHT changes after HCC ablation procedures. The aim of this study is to investigate changes in portal pressure hemodynamics of HCC patients following treatment with different interventional strategies: radiofrequency ablation (RFA), microwave ablation (MWA), and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). A total of 60 patients with HCC were divided into three main groups, and each group received a different type of therapy (RFA, MWA, and TACE). Full medical record and basic investigations were performed including Doppler ultrasound and upper GIT endoscopy for evaluation of PHT parameters, and then repeated after three months of ablation. RFA is associated with the increased splenic artery resistive index, while MWA has no significant impact on PHT indices. TACE has led to a marked increase in liver vascular index with significant decrease in hepatic artery resistive index and PHI after treatment. No significant changes in esophageal varices were observed by upper GIT endoscopy following all ablation methods. RFA is quite safe but associated with degree of PHT. On the contrary, TACE is associated with improved PHT parameters. MWA has no significant association to development of PHT following the technique. Doppler ultrasound could be used as a reliable and effective method of evaluation of PHT post ablation for HCC.     

Parametric response mapping cut-off values that predict survival of hepatocellular carcinoma patients after TACE

Purpose

Parametric response mapping (PRM) is a novel image-analysis technique applicable to assess tumor viability and predict intrahepatic recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). However, to date, the prognostic value of PRM for prediction of overall survival in HCC patients undergoing TACE is unclear. The objective of this explorative, single-center study was to identify cut-off values for voxel-specific PRM parameters that predict the post TACE overall survival in HCC patients.

Methods

PRM was applied to biphasic CT data obtained at baseline and following 3 TACE treatments of 20 patients with HCC tumors ≥ 2 cm. The individual portal venous phases were registered to the arterial phases followed by segmentation of the largest lesion, i.e., the region of interest (ROI). Segmented voxels with their respective arterial and portal venous phase density values were displayed as a scatter plot. Voxel-specific PRM parameters were calculated and compared to patients’ survival at 1, 2, and 3 years post treatment to identify the maximal predictive parameters.

Results

The hypervascularized tissue portion of the ROI was found to represent an independent predictor of the post TACE overall survival. For this parameter, cut-off values of 3650, 2057, and 2057 voxels, respectively, were determined to be optimal to predict overall survival at 1, 2, and 3 years after TACE. Using these cut points, patients were correctly classified as having died with a sensitivity of 80, 92, and 86% and as still being alive with a specificity of 60, 75, and 83%, respectively. The prognostic accuracy measured by area under the curve (AUC) values ranged from 0.73 to 0.87.

Conclusion

PRM may have prognostic value to predict post TACE overall survival in HCC patients.

     

A Nomogram Based on Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound to Predict the Microvascular Invasion in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to establish and validate a contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) nomogram for pre-operative microvascular invasion (MVI) prediction in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and compare it with the nomogram based on gadopentetate dimeglumine–enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (Gd-MRI).MethodsA total of 251 patients with a single HCC were enrolled in this prospective study, including 176 patients in the training cohort and 75 patients in the validation cohort. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) with Sonazoid and Gd-MRI was performed pre-operatively. Post-operative histopathology was the gold standard for MVI. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine independent risk factors for MVI. Nomograms based on CEUS and Gd-MRI were established, and their discrimination, calibration and decision curve analysis were evaluated and compared.ResultsMultivariate logistic regression revealed that arterial circular enhancement, non-enhancing area and thick ring-like enhancement in the post-vascular phase were independent risk factors for MVI. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the nomogram were 0.841 (0.779–0.892) and 0.914 (0.827–0.966) in the training and validation cohorts, with no significant difference compared with the Gd-MRI nomogram (p = 0.294, 0.321). The C-indexes were 0.821 and 0.870 in the training and validation cohorts. Decision curve analysis revealed that the CEUS nomogram had better clinical applicability than the Gd-MRI nomogram when the threshold probability was between 0.35 and 0.95.Conclusion: The CEUS-based nomogram was available for predicting MVI in HCC, and its predictive performance was not inferior to that of Gd-MRI.     

华蟾素注射液联合含奥沙利铂方案肝动脉化疗栓塞治疗肝癌临床疗效观察

目的探讨华蟾素注射液联合含奥沙利铂方案肝动脉化疗栓塞(TACE)治疗晚期原发性肝癌的临床疗效及毒副作用。方法将51例肝癌患者随机分为两组,联合治疗组(华蟾素注射液联合含奥沙利铂方案TACE)26例,对照组(含奥沙利铂方案TACE)25例。观察患者治疗前后临床主要症状的变化。结果联合治疗组与对照组有效率分别为65.4%和64.0%(P>0.05);联合治疗组和对照组中位疾病进展时间(TTP)分别为6.5个月和6.0个月,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),中位总生存期(OS)分别为13个月和12个月,两组差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。治疗后联合治疗组与对照组间血清血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)、缺氧诱导因子(HIF)-1α水平差异有统计学意义(P<0.05),联合治疗组患者的体力状况改善优于对照组(P<0.05)。两组治疗后不良反应发生率无差异,两组间常见毒副反应均为转氨酶升高、发热,不良反应均可耐受。结论华蟾素注射液联合含奥沙利铂方案TACE可作为中晚期肝癌安全有效的治疗方法。     

超声引导下经皮微波消融治疗肝细胞性肝癌术后复发灶远期疗效评估

目的评价肝细胞性肝癌(hepatic cellular carcinoma,HCC)手术后复发灶(直径≤5 cm)超声引导下经皮微波消融(microwave ablation,MWA)治疗的远期疗效及其影响因素。方法 2005年5月~2011年12月,89例HCC复发患者行经皮微波消融治疗。所有HCC复发患者在MWA治疗后1个月均行超声造影、增强CT或者增强磁共振检查;以及血生化检查,包括血清甲胎蛋白(AFP)、肝功能等。结果消融治疗1个月后,病灶完全消融率91%(81/89)。HCC经皮MWA治疗后,1、3、5、7年生存率分别为73.3%、53.7%、39.6%、17.3%。肿瘤大小(P=0.046)、肿瘤数目(P=0.001)、Child-Pugh分级(P=O.023)、AFP水平(P=0.003)以及HCC早期复发(≤1年)(P=0.013)为总体生存率的单因素回归分析的危险预后因素。肿瘤数目(P=0.000)、Child-Pugh分级(P=0.000)和AFP水平(P=0.001)是HCC经皮MWA治疗后总体生存率重要的独立危险因素。结论经皮MWA对于肝细胞性肝癌切除术后复发灶是有效、安全的治疗方法 。