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Singal AG, Ng M, Kulkarni A. Advancing Surveillance Strategies for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A New Era of Efficacy and Precision. J Clin Exp Hepatol 2024; 14:101448. [PMID: 38946864 PMCID: PMC11214318 DOI: 10.1016/j.jceh.2024.101448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the few cancers with a 5-year survival that has remained below 20%; however, prognosis differs by tumor stage at diagnosis. Curative treatment options among patients with early-stage HCC afford a median survival of 5-10 years. Accordingly, international society guidelines recommend semi-annual HCC surveillance in at-risk patients, including those with cirrhosis or high-risk chronic hepatitis B infection. Surveillance is associated with increased early-stage HCC detection and curative treatments, leading to reduced HCC-related mortality. Abdominal ultrasound has been the cornerstone for HCC surveillance for the past two decades, but recent data have highlighted its suboptimal sensitivity for early-stage HCC detection, particularly in patients with obesity and those with non-viral etiologies of liver disease. The combination of ultrasound plus alpha fetoprotein (AFP) has higher sensitivity for early-stage HCC detection than ultrasound alone, although the combination still misses over one-third of HCC at an early stage. Emerging imaging and blood-based biomarker strategies have promising data in biomarker phase 2 (case-control) and phase 3 (cohort) studies. Beyond ultrasound, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the best-studied imaging strategy, with superior sensitivity and specificity compared to ultrasound in a cohort study. Abbreviated MRI protocols have been proposed to address concerns about MRI radiological capacity, costs, and patient acceptance. Of biomarker strategies, GALAD (a panel including gender, age, AFP, AFP-L3, and DCP) is the best validated, with promising sensitivity for early-stage HCC detection in a national multi-center cohort study. Liquid biopsy biomarkers, including methylated DNA markers, have also shown promising accuracy in case-control studies. Abbreviated MRI and GALAD are now entering prospective trials that examine clinical outcomes such as early-stage HCC detection and screening-related harms, which are essential data to understand for adoption in clinical practice. As additional surveillance strategies become available, it will allow an era of precision surveillance in which optimal surveillance modalities are tailored to individual patient risk and expected test performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit G. Singal
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Michelle Ng
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Anand Kulkarni
- Department of Hepatology, AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad, India
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Singal AG, Daher D, Seif El Dahan K, Yang JD, Rich NE, Parikh ND. Reply. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024; 22:1340-1341. [PMID: 37979666 PMCID: PMC11098965 DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2023.10.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Amit G. Singal
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Darine Daher
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Karim Seif El Dahan
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Ju Dong Yang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Nicole E. Rich
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Neehar D. Parikh
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
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Mendiratta-Lala M, Fetzer D, Kamaya A, Parikh ND, Singal AG. The Future Role of Abdominal US in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Surveillance. Radiology 2024; 311:e232624. [PMID: 38742973 PMCID: PMC11140528 DOI: 10.1148/radiol.232624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Abdominal US is currently the best-validated surveillance strategy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in at-risk patients. It is the only modality shown to have completed all five phases of validation and can achieve high sensitivity and specificity for HCC detection, especially when conducted by expert sonographers in high-volume centers. However, US also has limitations, including operator dependency and varying sensitivity in clinical practice. Further, the sensitivity of US for early-stage HCC detection is lower in patients with obesity or nonviral liver disease, increasingly common populations undergoing surveillance. Imaging-based and blood-based surveillance strategies, including abbreviated MRI and biomarker panels, may overcome some limitations of US-based surveillance. Both strategies have promising test performance in phase II and phase III biomarker studies and are undergoing prospective validation. Considering the variation in HCC risk and test performance between patients, there will likely be a shift away from a one-size-fits-all approach and toward precision screening, in which the "best" test is selected based on individual patient characteristics. In this upcoming era of precision HCC screening among patients with cirrhosis, US will likely continue to have an important, albeit reduced, surveillance role.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Aya Kamaya
- From the Departments of Radiology (M.M.L.) and Internal Medicine
(N.D.P.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich; Department of Radiology
(D.F.) and Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Digestive and Liver
Diseases (A.G.S.), University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5959 Harry
Hines Blvd, Ste 420, POB 1, Dallas, TX 75390-8887; and Department of Radiology,
Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif (A.K.)
| | - Neehar D. Parikh
- From the Departments of Radiology (M.M.L.) and Internal Medicine
(N.D.P.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich; Department of Radiology
(D.F.) and Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Digestive and Liver
Diseases (A.G.S.), University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5959 Harry
Hines Blvd, Ste 420, POB 1, Dallas, TX 75390-8887; and Department of Radiology,
Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif (A.K.)
| | - Amit G. Singal
- From the Departments of Radiology (M.M.L.) and Internal Medicine
(N.D.P.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich; Department of Radiology
(D.F.) and Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Digestive and Liver
Diseases (A.G.S.), University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5959 Harry
Hines Blvd, Ste 420, POB 1, Dallas, TX 75390-8887; and Department of Radiology,
Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif (A.K.)
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Chen QF, Chen S, Yi JZ, Wang JL, Zhong SX, Jiang XY, Hu Y, Tan GJ, Xu J, Lyu N, Zhao M. Recommended 10-Year Follow-Up Strategy for Small Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Radiofrequency Ablation: A Cost-Effectiveness Evaluation. Am J Gastroenterol 2024:00000434-990000000-01086. [PMID: 38526213 DOI: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000002774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION An optimal follow-up schedule for small (≤3-cm) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) remains unclear in clinical guidelines. We aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of follow-up strategies in patients with small HCC after RFA. METHODS In total, 11,243 patients were collected from global institutions to calculate recurrence rates. Subsequently, a Markov model covering a 10-year period was developed to compare 25 surveillance strategies involving different surveillance techniques (computed tomography [CT], magnetic resonance imaging or ultrasonography [US], and α-fetoprotein [AFP]) and intervals (3 or 6 months). The study endpoint was incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), which represented additional cost per incremental quality-adjusted life year. Sensitivity analysis was conducted by varying the values of input parameters to observe the ICER. RESULTS In a base case analysis, the dominant strategy was CT every 3 months during an initial 2 years, followed by semiannual CT, and then switch to biannual the combination of US screening and AFP testing after 5 years (m3_CT-m6_CT-m6_USAFP), with an ICER of $68,570.92 compared with the "not followed" strategy. One-way sensitivity analysis showed the ICER consistently remained below the willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000.00. In a probabilistic sensitivity analysis, m3_CT-m6_CT-m6_USAFP was the most cost-effective approach in 95.6% of simulated scenarios at a willingness-to-pay threshold. DISCUSSION For small HCC after RFA, the recommended follow-up strategy is CT, with scans scheduled every 3 months for the first 2 years, every 6 months thereafter, and transition to biannual the combination of US screening and AFP testing after 5 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi-Feng Chen
- Department of Minimally Invasive Interventional Therapy, Liver Cancer Study and Service Group, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
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Koo E, Singal AG. Hepatocellular Carcinoma Surveillance: Evidence-Based Tailored Approach. Surg Oncol Clin N Am 2024; 33:13-28. [PMID: 37945138 DOI: 10.1016/j.soc.2023.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance is recommended by professional society guidelines given a consistent association with reduced HCC-related mortality. HCC surveillance should be performed using semiannual abdominal ultrasound and alpha-fetoprotein, although this combination has suboptimal sensitivity and can miss more than one-third of HCC at an early stage. There are promising emerging blood-based and imaging-based strategies, including abbreviated MRI and biomarker panels; however, these require further validation before routine use in clinical practice. HCC surveillance is underused in clinical practice due to patient-related and provider-related barriers, highlighting a need for interventions to improve surveillance utilization in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eden Koo
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Amit G Singal
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5959 Harry Hines Boulevard, POB 1, Suite 420, Dallas, TX 75390-8887, USA.
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Singal AG, Llovet JM, Yarchoan M, Mehta N, Heimbach JK, Dawson LA, Jou JH, Kulik LM, Agopian VG, Marrero JA, Mendiratta-Lala M, Brown DB, Rilling WS, Goyal L, Wei AC, Taddei TH. AASLD Practice Guidance on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatology 2023; 78:1922-1965. [PMID: 37199193 PMCID: PMC10663390 DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000000466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 222] [Impact Index Per Article: 222.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Amit G. Singal
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Josep M. Llovet
- Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Mark Yarchoan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Neil Mehta
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Laura A. Dawson
- Radiation Medicine Program/University Health Network, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Janice H. Jou
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Laura M. Kulik
- Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Vatche G. Agopian
- The Dumont–University of California, Los Angeles, Transplant Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jorge A. Marrero
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mishal Mendiratta-Lala
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Daniel B. Brown
- Department of Radiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - William S. Rilling
- Division of Interventional Radiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Lipika Goyal
- Department of Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Alice C. Wei
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Tamar H. Taddei
- Department of Medicine (Digestive Diseases), Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
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Singal AG, Kanwal F, Llovet JM. Global trends in hepatocellular carcinoma epidemiology: implications for screening, prevention and therapy. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2023; 20:864-884. [PMID: 37884736 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-023-00825-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) mortality rates are increasing globally, and particularly in the Western world. Cirrhosis remains the predominant risk factor for HCC. However, epidemiological shifts in the incidence of HCC from patients with virus-related liver disease to those with non-viral aetiologies, including alcohol-associated and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, have important implications for prevention, surveillance and treatment. Hepatitis B vaccination and antiviral therapy for hepatitis B and C are effective for primary prevention of virus-related HCCs, but chemoprevention strategies for non-viral liver disease remain an unmet need. Emerging data suggest associations between aspirin, statins, metformin and coffee and reduced HCC incidence, although none has been proved to be causally related. Secondary prevention of HCC via semi-annual surveillance is associated with improvements in early detection and thus reduced mortality; however, current tools, including abdominal ultrasonography, have suboptimal sensitivity for the detection of early stage HCC, particularly in patients with obesity and/or non-viral liver disease. Promising blood-based or imaging-based surveillance strategies are emerging, although these approaches require further validation before adoption in clinical practice. In the interim, efforts should be focused on maximizing use of the existing surveillance tools given their prevalent underuse globally. Remarkable advances have been made in the treatment of HCC, including expanded eligibility for surgical therapies, improved patient selection for locoregional treatments and increased systemic treatment options, including immune-checkpoint inhibitors. In this Review, we discuss trends in the epidemiology of HCC and their implications for screening, prevention and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit G Singal
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
| | - Fasiha Kanwal
- Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Health Services Research, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Section of Health Services Research, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- VA Health Services Research & Development Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety (IQuESt), Houston, TX, USA
- Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Josep M Llovet
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
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8
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Hui S, Bell S, Le S, Dev A. Hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance in Australia: current and future perspectives. Med J Aust 2023; 219:432-438. [PMID: 37803907 DOI: 10.5694/mja2.52124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and is increasing in incidence in Australia. For most people with cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis B, HCC screening and surveillance is recommended with 6-monthly ultrasound. However, most patients with HCC are still diagnosed outside of surveillance with incurable disease. While HCC surveillance almost certainly reduces cancer-related mortality, the potential harms of surveillance are incompletely understood. Surveillance uptake remains suboptimal in many contexts, and stems from a combination of patient, clinician and system level barriers. Improved case-finding strategies may be required to identify high risk individuals in need of surveillance, as cirrhosis and viral hepatitis are often asymptomatic. HCC prediction models and novel surveillance tools such as biomarker panels, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging may have a future role in personalised HCC surveillance. Analyses suggest surveillance may be cost-effective, but Australian data remain limited. A centralised HCC surveillance program may ultimately have a role in delivering improved and more equitable care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Hui
- School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Monash Health, Melbourne, VIC
| | - Sally Bell
- School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Monash Health, Melbourne, VIC
| | - Suong Le
- School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Monash Health, Melbourne, VIC
| | - Anouk Dev
- School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Monash Health, Melbourne, VIC
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Waked I, Alsammany S, Tirmazy SH, Rasul K, Bani-Issa J, Abdel-Razek W, Omar A, Shafik A, Eid S, Abdelaal A, Hosni A, Esmat G. Multidisciplinary consensus recommendations for management of hepatocellular carcinoma in Middle East and North Africa region. Liver Int 2023; 43:2062-2077. [PMID: 37553777 DOI: 10.1111/liv.15685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a growing health concern projected to cross over a million cases worldwide by 2025. HCC presents a significant burden of disease in Middle East and North African (MENA) countries due to a high prevalence of risk factors such as hepatitis C and B infections and rising incidence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. In August 2022, an advisory meeting consisting of experts from 5 MENA countries was convened in an attempt to provide consensus recommendations on HCC screening, early diagnosis, current treatment modalities and unmet medical needs in the region. Data were collected from a pre-meeting survey questionnaire and responses analysed and presented during the advisory meeting. This review summarizes the evidence discussed at the meeting and provides expert recommendations on the management of HCC. The 2022 update of Barcelona clinic liver cancer (BCLC) staging and treatment strategy and its implementation in the MENA region was extensively discussed. A key consensus of the expert panel was that multidisciplinary care is crucial to effective patient management that results in better clinical outcomes and overall survival of the patient. The panel recommended the use of predictive and early response biomarkers to guide clinicians in arriving at more effective therapeutic decisions. The experts also emphasized the role of robust screening/surveillance systems, population-based registries, effective referral pathways and standardization of guidelines to ensure the successful management of HCC in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imam Waked
- Department of Medicine, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt
| | - Sherif Alsammany
- Department of Medical Oncology, King Abdullah Medical City, Mecca, KSA
| | | | - Kakil Rasul
- Department of Medical Oncology, GI Unit, National Centre for Cancer Care and Research, Doha, Qatar
| | - Jafar Bani-Issa
- Department of Interventional Radiology, King Hussein Cancer Center, Amman, Jordan
| | - Wael Abdel-Razek
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt
| | - Ashraf Omar
- Department of Endemic Medicine and Hepato-Gastroentrology, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Amr Shafik
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Salem Eid
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Amr Abdelaal
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Hosni
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Gamal Esmat
- Department of Endemic Medicine and Hepato-Gastroentrology, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
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Thörn R, Hemmingsson O, Danielsson Borssén Å, Werner M, Karling P, Wixner J. Improved Survival in At-Risk Patients Undergoing Surveillance for Hepatocellular Carcinoma - A Nationwide Swedish Register-Based Study. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2023; 10:1573-1586. [PMID: 37753268 PMCID: PMC10518262 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s420130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is recommended in at-risk patients, but its effectiveness in Western populations has been questioned. The purpose was to evaluate the effect of surveillance in patients with HCC in a Northern European setting. Patients and Methods Data on patients diagnosed with HCC between 2009 and 2019 were collected from the nationwide Swedish National Registry for Tumors of the Liver and Bile Ducts (SweLiv). Patients who had undergone HCC surveillance were compared to those who had not (but had an obvious indication for surveillance, ie, liver cirrhosis or hepatic porphyria and an age of ≥50 years) regarding etiology, tumor burden, presence of extrahepatic spread, treatment and lead-time adjusted overall survival. Results A total of 4979 patients with index HCC were identified and information regarding surveillance was available in 4116 patients. Among these, 1078 had got their HCC diagnosis during surveillance, whereas 1647 had been diagnosed without surveillance despite a presumed indication. The most common underlying etiologies for HCC were hepatitis C (28.2%) and alcoholic liver disease (26.9%), and 94.8% had cirrhosis. The surveillance cohort more frequently met the University of California San Francisco-criteria (79% vs 53%, p <0.001), more often received a potentially curative treatment (62% vs 28%, p <0.001) and had less extrahepatic spread (7.6% vs 22.4% p <0.001). After adjustment for lead-time bias (sojourn time of 270 days), the surveillance group had a significantly longer estimated median survival time than the non-surveillance group (34 months vs 11 months, p <0.001). A multivariable cox regression analysis showed an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.59 (95% CI 0.51-0.67) in favor of surveillance. Conclusion Surveillance for HCC in at-risk patients is associated with diagnosis at an earlier tumor stage, treatment with curative intent and with improved lead-time adjusted overall survival. These findings encourage HCC surveillance of at-risk patients also in a Western population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Thörn
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Oskar Hemmingsson
- Department of Surgical and Perioperative Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Mårten Werner
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Pontus Karling
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jonas Wixner
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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11
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Zeng H, Cao M, Xia C, Wang D, Chen K, Zhu Z, Fu R, Zhang S, Zhou J, Wang H, Qi X, Dai S, Chen Y, Sun Z, Ding H, Li Q, Zhao H, Zhang X, Morze J, Ji JS, Sun F, Yu X, Qu C, Chen W. Performance and effectiveness of hepatocellular carcinoma screening in individuals with HBsAg seropositivity in China: a multicenter prospective study. NATURE CANCER 2023; 4:1382-1394. [PMID: 37667043 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-023-00618-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Current guidelines recommend hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance for at-risk individuals, including individuals with hepatitis B virus infection. However, the performance and survival benefits of annual screening have not been evaluated through multicenter prospective studies in a Chinese population. Between 2017 and 2021, we included 14,426 participants with hepatitis B surface antigen seropositivity in an annual HCC screening study in China using a multicenter prospective design with ultrasonography and serum alpha-fetoprotein. After four rounds of screening and follow-up, the adjusted hazard ratios of death after correction for lead-time and length-time biases for screen-detected cancers at the prevalent and incident rounds were 0.74 (95% confidence interval = 0.60-0.91) and 0.52 (95% confidence interval = 0.40-0.68), respectively. A meta-analysis demonstrated that HCC screening was associated with improved survival after adjusting for lead-time bias. Our findings highlight the 'real-world' feasibility and effectiveness of annual HCC screening in community settings for the early detection of HCC and to improve survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongmei Zeng
- National Central Cancer Registry, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Maomao Cao
- Office of Cancer Screening, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Changfa Xia
- Office of Cancer Screening, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongmei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Department of Immunology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Kun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Department of Immunology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zheng Zhu
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruiying Fu
- National Central Cancer Registry, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Shaokai Zhang
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University/Henan Cancer Hospital, Henan Engineering Research Center of Cancer Prevention and Control, Henan International Joint Laboratory of Cancer Prevention, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinyi Zhou
- Department for Chronic Non-communicable Diseases Control, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Public Health Research Institute of Jiangsu Province), Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Huadong Wang
- Department of Chronic Non-communicable Diseases Prevention and Treatment, Anhui Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Xianyun Qi
- Department of Chronic Non-communicable Diseases Prevention and Treatment, Yingdong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Fuyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuguang Dai
- Sheyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Yancheng, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong Chen
- Binhai Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Yancheng, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhong Sun
- Dancheng Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Zhoukou, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Ding
- Mengcheng Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Bozhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingwen Li
- Shenqiu Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Zhoukou, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Zhao
- Lingbi Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Suzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuehong Zhang
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jakub Morze
- Department of Cardiology and Internal Medicine, College of Medical Sciences, SGMK University, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - John S Ji
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Feng Sun
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xueqin Yu
- The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Chunfeng Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Department of Immunology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
| | - Wanqing Chen
- Office of Cancer Screening, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
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12
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Singal AG, Sanduzzi-Zamparelli M, Nahon P, Ronot M, Hoshida Y, Rich N, Reig M, Vilgrain V, Marrero J, Llovet JM, Parikh ND, Villanueva A. International Liver Cancer Association (ILCA) white paper on hepatocellular carcinoma risk stratification and surveillance. J Hepatol 2023; 79:226-239. [PMID: 36854345 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2023.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Major research efforts in liver cancer have been devoted to increasing the efficacy and effectiveness of surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). As with other cancers, surveillance programmes aim to detect tumours at an early stage, facilitate curative-intent treatment, and reduce cancer-related mortality. HCC surveillance is supported by a large randomised-controlled trial in patients with chronic HBV infection and several cohort studies in cirrhosis; however, effectiveness in clinical practice is limited by several barriers, including inadequate risk stratification, underuse of surveillance, and suboptimal accuracy of screening tests. There are several proposed strategies to address these limitations, including risk stratification algorithms and biomarkers to better identity at-risk individuals, interventions to increase surveillance, and emerging imaging- and blood-based surveillance tests with improved sensitivity and specificity for early HCC detection. Beyond clinical validation, data are needed to establish clinical utility, i.e. increased early tumour detection and reduced HCC-related mortality. If successful, these data could facilitate a precision screening paradigm in which surveillance strategies are tailored to individual HCC risk to maximise overall surveillance value. However, practical and logistical considerations must be considered when designing and implementing these validation efforts. To address these issues, ILCA (the International Liver Cancer Association) adjourned a single topic workshop on HCC risk stratification and surveillance in June 2022. Herein, we present a white paper on these topics, including the status of the field, ongoing research efforts, and barriers to the translation of emerging strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit G Singal
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
| | - Marco Sanduzzi-Zamparelli
- BCLC Group, Liver Oncology Unit, Liver Unit, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions, Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), CIBERehd, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pierre Nahon
- APHP, Liver Unit, Bobigny, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, F-93000 Bobigny, France; Inserm, UMR-1138 "Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors", Centre de recherche des Cordeliers, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Maxime Ronot
- Université Paris Cité, CRI INSERM UMR 1149, Paris & Department of radiology, Hôpital Beaujon, APHP. Nord, Clichy, France
| | - Yujin Hoshida
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Nicole Rich
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Maria Reig
- BCLC Group, Liver Oncology Unit, Liver Unit, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions, Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), CIBERehd, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Valerie Vilgrain
- Université Paris Cité, CRI INSERM UMR 1149, Paris & Department of radiology, Hôpital Beaujon, APHP. Nord, Clichy, France
| | - Jorge Marrero
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Josep M Llovet
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS) Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Neehar D Parikh
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Augusto Villanueva
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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13
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Kim BH, Cho Y, Park JW. Surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma: It is time to move forward. Clin Mol Hepatol 2022; 28:810-813. [PMID: 36064304 PMCID: PMC9597219 DOI: 10.3350/cmh.2022.0257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bo Hyun Kim
- Center for Liver and Pancreatobiliary Cancer, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea
| | - Yuri Cho
- Center for Liver and Pancreatobiliary Cancer, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea
| | - Joong-Won Park
- Center for Liver and Pancreatobiliary Cancer, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea,Corresponding author : Joong-Won Park Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Liver and Pancreatobiliary Cancer, National Cancer Center, 323 Ilsan-ro Ilsandong-gu, Goyang 10408, Korea Tel: +82-31-920-1605, Fax: +82-31-920-1520, E-mail:
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14
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Gleeson D, Walmsley M, Trivedi PJ, Joshi D, Rea B. Surveillance for cholangiocarcinoma in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis: Can we be more proactive? Frontline Gastroenterol 2022; 14:162-166. [PMID: 36818795 PMCID: PMC9933607 DOI: 10.1136/flgastro-2022-102172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dermot Gleeson
- Liver Unit, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Sheffield UK, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Palak J Trivedi
- National Institute for Health Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, Centre for Liver and Gastroenterology Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom, Birmingham, UK
| | - Deepak Joshi
- Institute of Liver Studies, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Ben Rea
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
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15
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Singal AG, Zhang E, Narasimman M, Rich NE, Waljee AK, Hoshida Y, Yang JD, Reig M, Cabibbo G, Nahon P, Parikh ND, Marrero JA. HCC surveillance improves early detection, curative treatment receipt, and survival in patients with cirrhosis: A meta-analysis. J Hepatol 2022; 77:128-139. [PMID: 35139400 PMCID: PMC9232881 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2022.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 73.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS There is controversy regarding the overall value of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance in patients with cirrhosis given the lack of data from randomized-controlled trials. To address this issue, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies evaluating the benefits and harms of HCC surveillance in patients with cirrhosis. METHODS We performed a search of the Medline and EMBASE databases and national meeting abstracts from January 2014 through July 2020 for studies reporting early-stage HCC detection, curative treatment receipt, or overall survival, stratified by HCC surveillance status, among patients with cirrhosis. Pooled risk ratios (RRs) and hazard ratios, according to HCC surveillance status, were calculated for each outcome using the DerSimonian and Laird method for random effects models. RESULTS We identified 59 studies including 145,396 patients with HCC, which was detected by surveillance in 41,052 (28.2%) cases. HCC surveillance was associated with improved early-stage detection (RR 1.86, 95% CI 1.73-1.98; I2 = 82%), curative treatment receipt (RR 1.83, 95% CI 1.69-1.97; I2 = 75%), and overall survival (hazard ratio 0.67, 95% CI 0.61-0.72; I2 = 78%) after adjusting for lead-time bias; however, there was notable heterogeneity in all pooled estimates. Four studies examined surveillance-related physical harms due to false positive or indeterminate surveillance results, but no studies examined potential financial or psychological harms. The proportion of patients experiencing surveillance-related physical harms ranged from 8.8% to 27.5% across studies, although most harms were mild in severity. CONCLUSION HCC surveillance is associated with improved early detection, curative treatment receipt, and survival in patients with cirrhosis, although there was heterogeneity in pooled estimates. Available data suggest HCC surveillance is of high value in patients with cirrhosis, although continued rigorous studies evaluating benefits and harms are still needed. LAY SUMMARY There has been ongoing debate about the overall value of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) screening in patients with cirrhosis given the lack of data from randomized-controlled trials. In a systematic review of contemporary cohort studies, we found that HCC screening is associated with improved early detection, curative treatment receipt, and survival in patients with cirrhosis, although there were fewer data quantifying potential screening-related harms. Available data suggest HCC screening is of high value in patients with cirrhosis, although continued studies evaluating benefits and harms are still needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit G Singal
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States.
| | - Emily Zhang
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Manasa Narasimman
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Nicole E Rich
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Akbar K Waljee
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI, United States
| | - Yujin Hoshida
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Ju Dong Yang
- Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Comprehensive Transplant Center, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars Sinai, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Maria Reig
- Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) Group, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, CIBEREEHD, Barcelona University, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Giuseppe Cabibbo
- Section of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, PROMISE, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Pierre Nahon
- AP-HP, Hôpital Avicenne, Liver Unit, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Bobigny, France; Inserm, UMR-1138 Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Neehar D Parikh
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI, United States
| | - Jorge A Marrero
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA, United States
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16
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Melendez-Torres J, Singal AG. Early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma: roadmap for improvement. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2022; 22:621-632. [PMID: 35514249 PMCID: PMC9845108 DOI: 10.1080/14737140.2022.2074404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a poor prognosis, related, in part, to frequent late-stage diagnosis. Improved implementation of effective HCC surveillance is critical to reduce HCC mortality. AREAS COVERED We performed a targeted literature review to identify intervention targets for improving HCC surveillance effectiveness, including enriched risk stratification tools, improved surveillance tools with higher accuracy for early HCC detection, and increasing surveillance adherence. EXPERT OPINION HCC surveillance has been demonstrated to be efficacious in several cohort studies but has lower surveillance effectiveness in clinical practice. HCC surveillance is currently recommended in all patients with cirrhosis, and improved risk stratification using clinical risk scores, genetic scores, and novel biomarkers are important to move from a 'one-size-fits-all' strategy to one more aligned with values of precision medicine. Current surveillance modalities, ultrasound, and AFP, miss over one-third of HCC at an early stage and are associated with potential surveillance harms, underscoring a need for alternative surveillance strategies with higher accuracy. MRI- and biomarker-based surveillance strategies have promising early data in phase II studies but require validation in phase III cohorts before routine use in practice. Finally, surveillance is underused in clinical practice, highlighting a need for intervention strategies to increase utilization.
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17
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Stefanini B, Tonnini M, Serio I, Renzulli M, Tovoli F. Surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma: current status and future perspectives for improvement. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2022; 22:371-381. [PMID: 35263211 DOI: 10.1080/14737140.2022.2052276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a globally relevant medical problem. Fortunately, risk factors for this tumor have been identified, and surveillance protocols developed. Patients with liver cirrhosis have the highest risk of developing HCC and have historically been included in surveillance programs. Special categories have also emerged in recent years, especially patients with eradicated HCV infection or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Novel serum biomarkers and magnetic resonance imaging protocols are currently being proposed to refine existing surveillance protocols. AREAS COVERED We discuss the rationale of surveillance programs for HCC and report the most recent recommendations from international guidelines about this topic. Gray areas, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and the role of intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma, are also discussed. EXPERT OPINION Surveillance is recognized as a tool to favor early diagnosis of HCC, access to curative treatment, and increase survival, even if the supporting evidence is mainly based on observational studies. As new randomized clinical trials are difficult to propose, future challenges will include optimizing implementation in the primary care setting and a more personalized approach, balancing the opportunities and risks of overdiagnosis of novel techniques and biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernardo Stefanini
- Division of Internal Medicine, Hepatobiliary and Immunoallergic Diseases, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Matteo Tonnini
- Division of Internal Medicine, Hepatobiliary and Immunoallergic Diseases, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Ilaria Serio
- Division of Internal Medicine, Hepatobiliary and Immunoallergic Diseases, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Matteo Renzulli
- Department of Radiology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesco Tovoli
- Division of Internal Medicine, Hepatobiliary and Immunoallergic Diseases, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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18
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Singal AG, El-Serag HB. Rational HCC screening approaches for patients with NAFLD. J Hepatol 2022; 76:195-201. [PMID: 34508791 PMCID: PMC8688224 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2021.08.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with an increased risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), especially among those who have cirrhosis or advanced fibrosis, but 20-30% of cases of NAFLD-related HCC occur in the absence of advanced fibrosis. The prevalence of NAFLD-related HCC is increasing in most countries worldwide. There are few direct data to support or refute the efficacy or effectiveness of HCC surveillance in NAFLD or to guide its application. We use evidence on surveillance in other conditions and studies on the clinical course of patients with NAFLD to arrive at recommendations for rational approaches to HCC surveillance in this growing cohort of patients. We also outline gaps in research and practice, including opportunities to advance the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit G Singal
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Hashem B El-Serag
- Department of Internal Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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19
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Teufel A, Quante M, Kandulski A, Hirth M, Zhan T, Eckardt M, Thieme R, Kusnik A, Yesmembetov K, Wiest I, Riemann JF, Schlitt HJ, Gockel I, Malfertheiner P, Ebert MP. [Prevention of gastrointestinal cancer]. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR GASTROENTEROLOGIE 2021; 59:964-982. [PMID: 34507375 DOI: 10.1055/a-1540-7539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Throughout the past decades, considerable progress has been made in the (early) diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal cancers. However, the prognosis for advanced stages of gastrointestinal tumors remains limited for many patients and approximately one third of all tumor patients die as a result of gastrointestinal tumors. The prevention and early detection of gastrointestinal tumors is therefore of great importance.For this reason, we summarize the current state of knowledge and recommendations for the primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of esophageal, stomach, pancreas, liver and colorectal cancer in the following.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Teufel
- II. Medizinische Klinik, Sektion Hepatologie, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg, Universitätsklinikum Mannheim, Mannheim.,Klinische Kooperationseinheit Healthy Metabolism, Zentrum für Präventivmedizin und Digitale Gesundheit Baden-Württemberg, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg, Mannheim
| | - Michael Quante
- Klinik für Innere Medizin II, Medizinische Universitätsklinik, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau
| | - Arne Kandulski
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin I, Universitätsklinikum Regensburg, Regensburg
| | - Michael Hirth
- II. Medizinische Klinik, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg, Mannheim, Universitätsklinikum Mannheim, Mannheim
| | - Tianzuo Zhan
- II. Medizinische Klinik, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg, Mannheim, Universitätsklinikum Mannheim, Mannheim
| | - Maximilian Eckardt
- II. Medizinische Klinik, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg, Mannheim, Universitätsklinikum Mannheim, Mannheim
| | - René Thieme
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Viszeral-, Transplantations-, Thorax- und Gefäßchirurgie, Department für Operative Medizin (DOPM), Universitatsklinikum Leipzig, Leipzig
| | - Alexander Kusnik
- II. Medizinische Klinik, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg, Mannheim, Universitätsklinikum Mannheim, Mannheim
| | - Kakharman Yesmembetov
- Klinik für Gastroenterologie, Stoffwechselerkrankungen und Internistische Intensivmedizin (Med. III), RWTH Universitätsklinikum Aachen, Aachen
| | - Isabella Wiest
- II. Medizinische Klinik, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg, Mannheim, Universitätsklinikum Mannheim, Mannheim
| | | | - Hans Jürgen Schlitt
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Chirurgie, Universitatsklinikum Regensburg, Regensburg
| | - Ines Gockel
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Viszeral-, Transplantations-, Thorax- und Gefäßchirurgie, Department für Operative Medizin (DOPM), Universitatsklinikum Leipzig, Leipzig
| | - Peter Malfertheiner
- Klinik für Gastroenterologie, Hepatologie und Infektiologie, Medizinische Fakultät Magdeburg, Magdeburg
| | - Matthias Philip Ebert
- II. Medizinische Klinik, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg, Mannheim, Universitätsklinikum Mannheim, Mannheim.,Klinische Kooperationseinheit Healthy Metabolism, Zentrum für Präventivmedizin und Digitale Gesundheit Baden-Württemberg, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg, Mannheim
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20
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Effect of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Surveillance Programmes on Overall Survival in a Mixed Cirrhotic UK Population: A Prospective, Longitudinal Cohort Study. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10132770. [PMID: 34202593 PMCID: PMC8269358 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10132770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is recommended by national and international guidelines. However, there are no trial data on whether surveillance improves clinical outcomes in a UK cirrhosis population of mixed aetiology. Our aim was to determine the impact of, and adherence to, surveillance on overall survival. Methods: We prospectively collected data on consecutive patients diagnosed with HCC between January 2009 and December 2015 at two large UK centres. We assessed outcomes depending on whether they had been entered into an HCC surveillance programme, and if they had adhered to that. Results: Out of 985 patients diagnosed with HCC in this study, 40.0% had been enrolled in a surveillance programme. Of these, 76.6% were adherent with surveillance and 24.4% were not. Adherence to surveillance was significantly associated with improved overall survival, even when accounting for lead-time bias using different approaches (HR for 270 days lead-time adjustment 0.64, 0.53 to 0.76, p < 0.001). Conclusions: When adjusted for lead-time bias, HCC surveillance is associated with improved overall survival; however, the beneficial effect of surveillance on survival was lower than reported in studies that did not account fully for lead-time bias.
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21
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Singal AG, Hoshida Y, Pinato DJ, Marrero J, Nault JC, Paradis V, Tayob N, Sherman M, Lim YS, Feng Z, Lok AS, Rinaudo JA, Srivastava S, Llovet JM, Villanueva A. International Liver Cancer Association (ILCA) White Paper on Biomarker Development for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Gastroenterology 2021; 160:2572-2584. [PMID: 33705745 PMCID: PMC8169638 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2021.01.233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Amit G Singal
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, Texas.
| | - Yujin Hoshida
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, Texas
| | - David J Pinato
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
| | - Jorge Marrero
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, Texas
| | - Jean-Charles Nault
- Service d'hépatologie, Hôpital Jean Verdier, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris-Seine-Saint-Denis, Assistance-Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Bondy, France; Unité de Formation et de Recherche Santé Médecine et Biologie Humaine, Université Paris 13, Paris, France; Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Inserm, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris, INSERM UMR 118 Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors Laboratory, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Valerie Paradis
- Pathology Department, Beaujon hospital, Clichy, University Paris, France
| | - Nabihah Tayob
- Department of Data Science, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Young Suk Lim
- Department of Gastroenterology, Liver Center, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ziding Feng
- Biostatistics Program, Public Health Science Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Anna S Lok
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Jo Ann Rinaudo
- Cancer Biomarker Research Group, Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Sudhir Srivastava
- Cancer Biomarker Research Group, Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Josep M Llovet
- Division of Liver Diseases and Hematology/Medical Oncology, Liver Cancer Program, Tisch Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institució Catalana d'Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Augusto Villanueva
- Division of Liver Diseases and Hematology/Medical Oncology, Liver Cancer Program, Tisch Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
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22
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Reig M, Forner A, Ávila MA, Ayuso C, Mínguez B, Varela M, Bilbao I, Bilbao JI, Burrel M, Bustamante J, Ferrer J, Gómez MÁ, Llovet JM, De la Mata M, Matilla A, Pardo F, Pastrana MA, Rodríguez-Perálvarez M, Tabernero J, Urbano J, Vera R, Sangro B, Bruix J. Diagnosis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Update of the consensus document of the AEEH, AEC, SEOM, SERAM, SERVEI, and SETH. Med Clin (Barc) 2021; 156:463.e1-463.e30. [PMID: 33461840 DOI: 10.1016/j.medcli.2020.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver neoplasm and one of the most common causes of death in patients with cirrhosis of the liver. In parallel, with recognition of the clinical relevance of this cancer, major new developments have recently appeared in its diagnosis, prognostic assessment and in particular, in its treatment. Therefore, the Spanish Association for the Study of the Liver (AEEH) has driven the need to update the clinical practice guidelines, once again inviting all the societies involved in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease to participate in the drafting and approval of the document: Spanish Society for Liver Transplantation (SETH), Spanish Society of Diagnostic Radiology (SERAM), Spanish Society of Vascular and Interventional Radiology (SERVEI), Spanish Association of Surgeons (AEC) and Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM). The clinical practice guidelines published in 2016 and accepted as National Health System Clinical Practice Guidelines were taken as the reference documents, incorporating the most important recent advances. The scientific evidence and the strength of the recommendation is based on the GRADE system.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Reig
- Unidad de Oncología Hepática (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer), Servicio de Hepatología, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, Universidad de Barcelona, European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER), Barcelona, España; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Madrid, España
| | - Alejandro Forner
- Unidad de Oncología Hepática (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer), Servicio de Hepatología, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, Universidad de Barcelona, European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER), Barcelona, España; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Madrid, España
| | - Matías A Ávila
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Madrid, España; Programa de Hepatología, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada, Universidad de Navarra-IDISNA, Pamplona, España
| | - Carmen Ayuso
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Madrid, España; Servicio de Radiodiagnóstico, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, España
| | - Beatriz Mínguez
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Madrid, España; Servicio de Hepatología, Hospital Universitario Vall d́Hebron, Grupo de Investigación en Enfermedades Hepáticas (VHIR), Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. Barcelona, España
| | - María Varela
- Sección de Hepatología, Servicio de Aparato Digestivo, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias. Oviedo, España
| | - Itxarone Bilbao
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Madrid, España; Servicio de Cirugía Hepatobiliopancreática y Trasplantes Digestivos, Hospital Universitario Vall d'Hebron, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. Barcelona, España
| | - José Ignacio Bilbao
- Unidad de Radiología Vascular e Intervencionista, Departamento de Radiodiagnóstico, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, España
| | - Marta Burrel
- Servicio de Radiodiagnóstico, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, España
| | - Javier Bustamante
- Servicio de Gastroenterología y Hepatología, Sección de Hepatología y Trasplante, Hospital Universitario de Cruces, Baracaldo, España
| | - Joana Ferrer
- Unidad de Oncología Hepática (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer), Servicio de Cirugía Hepatobiliopancreática, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, España
| | - Miguel Ángel Gómez
- Unidad de Cirugía Hepatobiliopancreática y Trasplantes, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Sevilla, España
| | - Josep María Llovet
- Grupo de Investigación Traslacional en Oncología Hepática, Servicio de Hepatología, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, España
| | - Manuel De la Mata
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Madrid, España; Unidad Clínica de Aparato Digestivo, Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, España
| | - Ana Matilla
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Madrid, España; Sección de Hepatología, Servicio de Aparato Digestivo, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, España
| | - Fernando Pardo
- Servicio de Cirugía Hepatobiliopancreática y Trasplante, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, España
| | - Miguel A Pastrana
- Servicio de Radiodiagnóstico, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, España
| | - Manuel Rodríguez-Perálvarez
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Madrid, España; Unidad Clínica de Aparato Digestivo, Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, España
| | - Josep Tabernero
- Servicio de Oncología Médica, Hospital Universitario Vall d'Hebron, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, España
| | - José Urbano
- Unidad de Radiología Vascular e Intervencionista, Servicio de Radiodiagnóstico, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, España
| | - Ruth Vera
- Servicio de Oncología Médica, Complejo hospitalario de Navarra, Navarrabiomed-IDISNA, Pamplona, España
| | - Bruno Sangro
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Madrid, España; Unidad de Hepatología y Área de Oncología HBP, Clínica Universidad de Navarra-IDISNA, Pamplona, España.
| | - Jordi Bruix
- Unidad de Oncología Hepática (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer), Servicio de Hepatología, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, Universidad de Barcelona, European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER), Barcelona, España; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Madrid, España.
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We need stronger evidence for (or against) hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance. J Hepatol 2021; 74:1234-1239. [PMID: 33465402 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2020.12.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Current guidelines from EASL recommend that most patients with cirrhosis are offered surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but fewer patients than expected actually receive it. The recommendation is based on observational studies and simulations, not randomised trials. In this opinion piece we argue that a randomised trial of HCC surveillance vs. no surveillance is necessary and feasible, and we believe that clinician and patient participation in HCC surveillance would be better if it were based on trial results demonstrating its value.
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Colli A, Nadarevic T, Miletic D, Giljaca V, Fraquelli M, Štimac D, Casazza G. Abdominal ultrasound and alpha-foetoprotein for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in adults with chronic liver disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2021; 4:CD013346. [PMID: 33855699 PMCID: PMC8078581 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd013346.pub2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurs mostly in people with chronic liver disease and ranks sixth in terms of global instances of cancer, and fourth in terms of cancer deaths for men. Despite that abdominal ultrasound (US) is used as an initial test to exclude the presence of focal liver lesions and serum alpha-foetoprotein (AFP) measurement may raise suspicion of HCC occurrence, further testing to confirm diagnosis as well as staging of HCC is required. Current guidelines recommend surveillance programme using US, with or without AFP, to detect HCC in high-risk populations despite the lack of clear benefits on overall survival. Assessing the diagnostic accuracy of US and AFP may clarify whether the absence of benefit in surveillance programmes could be related to under-diagnosis. Therefore, assessment of the accuracy of these two tests for diagnosing HCC in people with chronic liver disease, not included in surveillance programmes, is needed. OBJECTIVES Primary: the diagnostic accuracy of US and AFP, alone or in combination, for the diagnosis of HCC of any size and at any stage in adults with chronic liver disease, either in a surveillance programme or in a clinical setting. Secondary: to assess the diagnostic accuracy of abdominal US and AFP, alone or in combination, for the diagnosis of resectable HCC; to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the individual tests versus the combination of both tests; to investigate sources of heterogeneity in the results. SEARCH METHODS We searched the Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group Controlled Trials Register, the Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group Diagnostic-Test-Accuracy Studies Register, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS, Science Citation Index Expanded, until 5 June 2020. We applied no language or document-type restrictions. SELECTION CRITERIA Studies assessing the diagnostic accuracy of US and AFP, independently or in combination, for the diagnosis of HCC in adults with chronic liver disease, with cross-sectional and case-control designs, using one of the acceptable reference standards, such as pathology of the explanted liver, histology of resected or biopsied focal liver lesion, or typical characteristics on computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging, all with a six-months follow-up. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS We independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias and applicability concerns, using the QUADAS-2 checklist. We presented the results of sensitivity and specificity, using paired forest-plots, and tabulated the results. We used a hierarchical meta-analysis model where appropriate. We presented uncertainty of the accuracy estimates using 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We double-checked all data extractions and analyses. MAIN RESULTS We included 373 studies. The index-test was AFP (326 studies, 144,570 participants); US (39 studies, 18,792 participants); and a combination of AFP and US (eight studies, 5454 participants). We judged at high-risk of bias all but one study. Most studies used different reference standards, often inappropriate to exclude the presence of the target condition, and the time-interval between the index test and the reference standard was rarely defined. Most studies with AFP had a case-control design. We also had major concerns for the applicability due to the characteristics of the participants. As the primary studies with AFP used different cut-offs, we performed a meta-analysis using the hierarchical-summary-receiver-operating-characteristic model, then we carried out two meta-analyses including only studies reporting the most used cut-offs: around 20 ng/mL or 200 ng/mL. AFP cut-off 20 ng/mL: for HCC (147 studies) sensitivity 60% (95% CI 58% to 62%), specificity 84% (95% CI 82% to 86%); for resectable HCC (six studies) sensitivity 65% (95% CI 62% to 68%), specificity 80% (95% CI 59% to 91%). AFP cut-off 200 ng/mL: for HCC (56 studies) sensitivity 36% (95% CI 31% to 41%), specificity 99% (95% CI 98% to 99%); for resectable HCC (two studies) one with sensitivity 4% (95% CI 0% to 19%), specificity 100% (95% CI 96% to 100%), and one with sensitivity 8% (95% CI 3% to 18%), specificity 100% (95% CI 97% to 100%). US: for HCC (39 studies) sensitivity 72% (95% CI 63% to 79%), specificity 94% (95% CI 91% to 96%); for resectable HCC (seven studies) sensitivity 53% (95% CI 38% to 67%), specificity 96% (95% CI 94% to 97%). Combination of AFP (cut-off of 20 ng/mL) and US: for HCC (six studies) sensitivity 96% (95% CI 88% to 98%), specificity 85% (95% CI 73% to 93%); for resectable HCC (two studies) one with sensitivity 89% (95% CI 73% to 97%), specificity of 83% (95% CI 76% to 88%), and one with sensitivity 79% (95% CI 54% to 94%), specificity 87% (95% CI 79% to 94%). The observed heterogeneity in the results remains mostly unexplained, and only in part referable to different cut-offs or settings (surveillance programme compared to clinical series). The sensitivity analyses, excluding studies published as abstracts, or with case-control design, showed no variation in the results. We compared the accuracy obtained from studies with AFP (cut-off around 20 ng/mL) and US: a direct comparison in 11 studies (6674 participants) showed a higher sensitivity of US (81%, 95% CI 66% to 90%) versus AFP (64%, 95% CI 56% to 71%) with similar specificity: US 92% (95% CI 83% to 97%) versus AFP 89% (95% CI 79% to 94%). A direct comparison of six studies (5044 participants) showed a higher sensitivity (96%, 95% CI 88% to 98%) of the combination of AFP and US versus US (76%, 95% CI 56% to 89%) with similar specificity: AFP and US 85% (95% CI 73% to 92%) versus US 93% (95% CI 80% to 98%). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS In the clinical pathway for the diagnosis of HCC in adults, AFP and US, singularly or in combination, have the role of triage-tests. We found that using AFP, with 20 ng/mL as a cut-off, about 40% of HCC occurrences would be missed, and with US alone, more than a quarter. The combination of the two tests showed the highest sensitivity and less than 5% of HCC occurrences would be missed with about 15% of false-positive results. The uncertainty resulting from the poor study quality and the heterogeneity of included studies limit our ability to confidently draw conclusions based on our results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agostino Colli
- Department of Transfusion Medicine and Haematology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Italy
| | - Tin Nadarevic
- Department of Radiology, Clinical Hospital Centre Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Damir Miletic
- Department of Radiology , Clinical Hospital Centre Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Vanja Giljaca
- Department of Gastroenterology, Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Mirella Fraquelli
- Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca´ Granda - Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Davor Štimac
- Department of Gastroenterology, Clinical Hospital Centre Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Giovanni Casazza
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche "L. Sacco", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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Su F, Weiss NS, Beste LA, Moon AM, Jin GY, Green P, Berry K, Ioannou GN. Screening is associated with a lower risk of hepatocellular carcinoma-related mortality in patients with chronic hepatitis B. J Hepatol 2021; 74:850-859. [PMID: 33245934 PMCID: PMC8045451 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2020.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection routinely undergo screening for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the efficacy of screening remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the impact of screening with ultrasound and/or serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) on HCC-related mortality in patients with CHB. METHODS We performed a matched case-control study of patients with CHB receiving care through the Veterans Affairs (VA) health administration. Cases were patients who died of HCC between 01/01/2004 and 12/31/2017, while controls were patients with CHB who did not die of HCC. Cases were matched to controls by CHB diagnosis date, age, sex, race/ethnicity, cirrhosis, antiviral therapy exposure, hepatitis B e antigen status, and viral load. We identified screening ultrasound and AFPs obtained in the 4 years preceding HCC diagnosis in cases and the equivalent index date in controls. Using conditional logistic regression, we compared cases and controls with respect to receipt of screening. A lower likelihood of screening in cases corresponds to an association between screening and reduced risk of HCC-related mortality. RESULTS We identified 169 cases, matched to 169 controls. Fewer cases than controls underwent screening with either screening modality (33.7% vs. 58.6%) or both modalities (19.5% vs. 34.4%). In multivariable conditional logistic regression, screening with either modality was associated with a lower risk of HCC-related mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.21, 95% CI 0.09-0.50), as was screening with both modalities (aOR of 0.13; 95% CI 0.04-0.43). CONCLUSIONS HCC screening was associated with a substantial reduction in HCC-related mortality in VA patients with CHB. LAY SUMMARY Patients with hepatitis B infection have a high risk of developing liver cancer. It is therefore recommended that they undergo frequent screening for liver cancer, but whether this leads to a lower risk of dying from liver cancer is not clear. In this study, we show that liver cancer screening is associated with a reduction in the mortality from liver cancer in patients with hepatitis B infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Su
- Divisions of Gastroenterology, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Healthcare System and University of Washington, Seattle WA.,Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle WA, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle WA
| | - Noel S. Weiss
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle WA, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle WA
| | - Lauren A. Beste
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Healthcare System and University of Washington, Seattle WA
| | - Andrew M. Moon
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Ga-Young Jin
- Health Services Research and Development, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle WA
| | - Pamela Green
- Health Services Research and Development, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle WA
| | - Kristin Berry
- Health Services Research and Development, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle WA
| | - George N. Ioannou
- Divisions of Gastroenterology, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Healthcare System and University of Washington, Seattle WA
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Sparchez Z, Craciun R, Caraiani C, Horhat A, Nenu I, Procopet B, Sparchez M, Stefanescu H, Mocan T. Ultrasound or Sectional Imaging Techniques as Screening Tools for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Fall Forward or Move Forward? J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10050903. [PMID: 33668839 PMCID: PMC7956684 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10050903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is probably the epitome of a screening target, with a well-defined high-risk population, accessible screening methods, and multiple curative-intent treatments available for early disease. Per major societies guideline consensus, biannual ultrasound (US) surveillance of the at-risk patients is the current standard of care worldwide. Yet, despite its documented success in the past decades, this standard is far from perfect. While the whole community is working to further tighten the knots, a worrying number of cases still slip through this safety net. Consequently, these patients lose their chance to a curative solution which leads to a high disease burden with disproportionate mortality. While US will probably remain the fundamental staple in the screening strategy, key questions are seeking better answers. How can its caveats be addressed, and the technique be improved? When are further steps needed? How to increase accuracy without giving up on accessibility? This narrative review discusses the place of US surveillance in the bigger HCC picture, trying to navigate through its strengths and limits based on the most recent available evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeno Sparchez
- 3rd Medical Department, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (Z.S.); (A.H.); (I.N.); (B.P.); (T.M.)
- Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Rares Craciun
- 3rd Medical Department, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (Z.S.); (A.H.); (I.N.); (B.P.); (T.M.)
- Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
- Correspondence:
| | - Cosmin Caraiani
- Department of Medical Imaging, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Adelina Horhat
- 3rd Medical Department, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (Z.S.); (A.H.); (I.N.); (B.P.); (T.M.)
- Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Iuliana Nenu
- 3rd Medical Department, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (Z.S.); (A.H.); (I.N.); (B.P.); (T.M.)
- Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Bogdan Procopet
- 3rd Medical Department, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (Z.S.); (A.H.); (I.N.); (B.P.); (T.M.)
- Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Mihaela Sparchez
- Paediatric Department, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Horia Stefanescu
- Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Tudor Mocan
- 3rd Medical Department, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (Z.S.); (A.H.); (I.N.); (B.P.); (T.M.)
- Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
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27
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Hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2021. [DOI: 10.1038/s41572-020-00240-3 order by 1-- #] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
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Llovet JM, Kelley RK, Villanueva A, Singal AG, Pikarsky E, Roayaie S, Lencioni R, Koike K, Zucman-Rossi J, Finn RS. Hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2021; 7:6. [PMID: 33479224 DOI: 10.1038/s41572-020-00240-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2721] [Impact Index Per Article: 907.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Liver cancer remains a global health challenge, with an estimated incidence of >1 million cases by 2025. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of liver cancer and accounts for ~90% of cases. Infection by hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus are the main risk factors for HCC development, although non-alcoholic steatohepatitis associated with metabolic syndrome or diabetes mellitus is becoming a more frequent risk factor in the West. Moreover, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis-associated HCC has a unique molecular pathogenesis. Approximately 25% of all HCCs present with potentially actionable mutations, which are yet to be translated into the clinical practice. Diagnosis based upon non-invasive criteria is currently challenged by the need for molecular information that requires tissue or liquid biopsies. The current major advancements have impacted the management of patients with advanced HCC. Six systemic therapies have been approved based on phase III trials (atezolizumab plus bevacizumab, sorafenib, lenvatinib, regorafenib, cabozantinib and ramucirumab) and three additional therapies have obtained accelerated FDA approval owing to evidence of efficacy. New trials are exploring combination therapies, including checkpoint inhibitors and tyrosine kinase inhibitors or anti-VEGF therapies, or even combinations of two immunotherapy regimens. The outcomes of these trials are expected to change the landscape of HCC management at all evolutionary stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josep M Llovet
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA. .,Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. .,Institució Catalana d'Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Robin Kate Kelley
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Augusto Villanueva
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Amit G Singal
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Eli Pikarsky
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, IMRIC, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Sasan Roayaie
- White Plains Hospital Center for Cancer Care, Montefiore Health, White Plains, NY, USA
| | - Riccardo Lencioni
- Department of Radiology, Pisa University School of Medicine, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Radiology, Miami Cancer Insitute, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Kazuhiko Koike
- The University of Tokyo, Department of Gastroenterology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jessica Zucman-Rossi
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, USPC, Université Paris Descartes, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France.,Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Richard S Finn
- Department of Oncology, Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2021. [DOI: 10.1038/s41572-020-00240-3 and 1880=1880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
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30
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Hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2021. [DOI: 10.1038/s41572-020-00240-3 order by 1-- -] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
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31
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Hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2021. [DOI: 10.1038/s41572-020-00240-3 order by 1-- gadu] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
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Berman ZT, Newton I. Diagnosis, Staging, and Patient Selection for Locoregional Therapy to Treat Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Semin Intervent Radiol 2020; 37:441-447. [PMID: 33328699 DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1719185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality and the only cancer for which the incidence and mortality are on the rise. Sensitive and specific screening and diagnostic approaches, robust staging regimens, multidisciplinary tumor boards, and patient/family education and engagement in the shared decision-making process help to identify a patient's optimal treatment options. Locoregional therapies have been the mainstay for treating intermediate-stage disease, but they are finding special applications for early and advanced disease. This review discusses the diagnosis of HCC, current accepted staging models, and treatment of HCC, with a focus on locoregional therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary T Berman
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Isabel Newton
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California.,Department of Radiology, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California
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Does Hepatocellular Carcinoma Surveillance Increase Survival in At-Risk Populations? Patient Selection, Biomarkers, and Barriers. Dig Dis Sci 2020; 65:3456-3462. [PMID: 32860090 PMCID: PMC7669568 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-020-06550-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly morbid and prevalent cancer globally. While high quality evidence for mortality benefit of HCC surveillance is lacking, early detection of HCC is likely beneficial as prognosis is highly correlated with tumor stage. High risk populations, including patients with cirrhosis and subgroups with Hepatitis B, should undergo surveillance with ultrasound ± alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) at 6-month intervals. In addition, emerging data suggest that patients with Hepatitis C cirrhosis who achieve sustained virologic response should continue surveillance. Further research is needed to determine the value of surveillance in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in the absence of cirrhosis or with advanced fibrosis of other etiologies. Newer biomarkers and models such as Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of AFP, des-γ-carboxy prothrombin, and the GALAD score are increasingly utilized in the diagnosis and prognostication of HCC. The role of these biomarkers in surveillance is still under investigation but may potentially offer a more practical alternative to traditional image-based surveillance. Despite recommendations from multiple professional society guidelines, many at-risk patients do not receive HCC surveillance due to barriers at the patient, clinician, and health care system levels. Strategies such as implementing patient navigation services, educating clinicians about surveillance guidelines, and creating automated outreach systems, may improve surveillance rates and ultimately reduce morbidity and mortality from HCC.
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Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the leading causes of cancer related death in the world. Biannual surveillance for the disease in patients with cirrhosis and in high risk carriers of hepatitis B virus allows early stage cancer detection and treatment with good long term outcomes. Liver ultrasonography and serum α fetoprotein are the most commonly used surveillance tests. If suspicious results are found on the surveillance test, multiphasic computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging should be undertaken to confirm the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. If radiologic tests show inconclusive results, liver biopsy or repeat imaging could be considered for confirmation of hepatocellular carcinoma. Management of the disease is complex. Patients should be evaluated by a multidisciplinary team, and the selection of treatment should consider factors such as tumor burden, severity of liver dysfunction, medical comorbidities, local expertise, and preference of patients. Early stage hepatocellular carcinoma is best managed by curative treatment, which includes resection, ablation, or transplantation. Patients with intermediate stage disease often receive locoregional treatment. Systemic treatment is reserved for patients with advanced disease. Several positive, phase III, randomized controlled trials have expanded the systemic treatment options for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with promising long term outcomes, especially trials using combination treatments, which could also have eventual implications for the treatment of earlier stage disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju Dong Yang
- Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Comprehensive Transplant Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Julie K Heimbach
- Division of Transplant Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION The value of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance is defined by the balance of benefits, i.e., early tumor detection, and potential harms, related to false positive and indeterminate results. Although physical harms can be observed in 15%-20% of patients with cirrhosis undergoing HCC surveillance, previous cost-effectiveness analyses have not incorporated costs of harms. We aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of HCC surveillance including both benefits and harms. DESIGN We constructed a Markov model to compare surveillance strategies of ultrasound (US) alone, US and alpha fetoprotein (AFP), and no surveillance in 1 million simulated patients with compensated cirrhosis. Harms included imaging and biopsy in patients undergoing surveillance for HCC. Model inputs were based on literature review, and costs were derived from the Medicare fee schedule, with all costs inflated to 2018 dollars. The primary outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio per incremental quality-adjusted life-year. RESULTS In the base case analysis, US with AFP was the dominant strategy over both US alone and no surveillance. In a probabilistic sensitivity analysis, US with AFP was the most cost-effective strategy in 80.1% of simulations at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000 per quality-adjusted life-year. In our threshold analyses, an HCC incidence >0.4% per year and surveillance adherence >19.5% biannually were necessary for US with AFP to be cost-effective compared with no surveillance. DISCUSSION Accounting for both surveillance-related benefits and harms, US and AFP is more cost-effective for HCC surveillance than US alone or no surveillance in patients with compensated cirrhosis.
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Onyirioha K, Mittal S, G Singal A. Is hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance in high-risk populations effective? Hepat Oncol 2020; 7:HEP25. [PMID: 32774835 PMCID: PMC7399579 DOI: 10.2217/hep-2020-0012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Several professional societies recommend hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance in high-risk patients including patients with cirrhosis from any etiology and subsets of noncirrhotic chronic hepatitis B virus infection. The efficacy of HCC surveillance to increase early detection and improve survival has been demonstrated in a large randomized controlled trial among hepatitis B virus patients and several cohort studies among those with cirrhosis. However, the effectiveness on HCC surveillance, when applied in clinical practice, is lower due to low utilization of HCC surveillance among at-risk patients, poorer test performance given operator dependency and differences in patient characteristics, and downstream process failures such as treatment delays. Interventions to increase surveillance utilization and improve surveillance test performance should improve surveillance effectiveness in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristeen Onyirioha
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Sukul Mittal
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Amit G Singal
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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Screening for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in HIV-Infected Patients: Current Evidence and Controversies. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep 2020; 17:6-17. [PMID: 31933273 DOI: 10.1007/s11904-019-00475-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review aims to summarize evidence regarding hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) screening in the specific context of HIV infection and discuss areas of uncertainty. RECENT FINDINGS It has not been definitely established if HCC incidence in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients with cirrhosis is above the 1.5%/year threshold that makes screening cost-effective. Outside cirrhosis or HBV infection, available data do not support surveillance. The performance of currently recommended ultrasound (US) screening strategy is poor in HIV-infected patients, as rates of early-stage HCC detection are low. Magnetic resonance imaging-based surveillance strategies or liquid biopsy are innovative approaches that should be specifically tested in this setting. HIV-infected patients with cirrhosis are at risk of HCC. US surveillance identifies patients with early-stage HCC who will benefit of curative therapies, although the quality of the evidence supporting screening remains limited. The HIV population should be a priority group to assess and validate new surveillance strategies.
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Da Fonseca LG, Forner A. Adherence and quality are key for a beneficial HCC surveillance. Liver Int 2020; 40:751-753. [PMID: 32255572 DOI: 10.1111/liv.14421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo G Da Fonseca
- Clinical Oncology, Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alejandro Forner
- Liver Unit, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) group, Hospital Clinic Barcelona, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Madrid, Spain
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Singal AG, Lampertico P, Nahon P. Epidemiology and surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma: New trends. J Hepatol 2020; 72:250-261. [PMID: 31954490 PMCID: PMC6986771 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2019.08.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 612] [Impact Index Per Article: 153.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The burden of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is highest in East Asia and Africa, although its incidence and mortality are rapidly rising in the United States and Europe. With the implementation of hepatitis B vaccination and hepatitis C treatment programmes worldwide, the epidemiology of HCC is shifting away from a disease predominated by viral hepatitis - an increasing proportion of cases are now attributable to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Surveillance using ultrasound, with or without alpha-fetoprotein, every 6 months has been associated with improved early detection and improved overall survival; however, limitations in implementation lead to a high proportion of HCC being detected at late stages in clinical practice. Herein, we review the current state of HCC surveillance and highlight areas for future research, including improved risk stratification of at-risk patients, surveillance tools with higher sensitivity and specificity for early HCC, and interventions to increase surveillance utilisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit G Singal
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
| | - Pietro Lampertico
- CRC "A. M. and A. Migliavacca" Center for the Study of Liver Disease, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Pierre Nahon
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Universités, Université Paris Descartes, Université Paris Diderot, Université Paris, Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors, USPC, Université Paris Descartes, Université Paris Diderot, Université Paris, Paris, France; Service d'hépatologie, Hôpital Jean Verdier, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris-Seine-Saint-Denis, Assistance-Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Bondy, France; Unité de Formation et de Recherche Santé Médecine et Biologie Humaine, Université Paris 13, Communauté d'Universités et Etablissements Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
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40
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Schauer C, van Rijnsoever M, Gane E. Surveillance factors change outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma due to chronic hepatitis C virus infection in New Zealand. J Viral Hepat 2019; 26:1372-1376. [PMID: 31323163 DOI: 10.1111/jvh.13179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Although surveillance for Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) with 6 monthly imaging is recommended for patients with cirrhosis secondary to chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, international studies report poor adherence and there is paucity of data on its effect on patient outcomes. The primary aim of this study was to review cases of HCC secondary to HCV to determine the impact of adherence with HCC surveillance on survival. A total of 520 patients with confirmed HCC secondary to chronic HCV from 31 January 2001 to 31 May 2018 were identified from a prospective national HCC database. Computerized clinical records, general practitioner referral letters and secondary care clinic letters were subsequently retrospectively analysed for methods of HCC detection. HCC was detected through routine surveillance in only 224 patients (44%). HCC was detected either incidentally or following the onset of symptoms in nonadherent (12%), suboptimal surveyed (3%), undiagnosed cirrhotic (12%) or recently diagnosed HCV patients (21%) or were never offered surveillance (2%). Routine surveillance improved overall survival, OR 0.41 (95% CI [0.32, 0.53], P < .0001), with an overall mean survival of 91.5 months (95% CI 76.4, 106.6) compared to 43.0 (95% CI 34.2, 51.9) for those patients not receiving regular surveillance Outcome following diagnosis of HCC secondary to chronic HCV is determined by early detection when curative intervention is possible. Lack of diagnosis of HCV and nonadherence to HCC surveillance results in late diagnosis and poor outcomes. Under-diagnosis of HCV infection and lack of diagnosis of cirrhosis in patients known to have HCV infection reduce the benefit of current HCC surveillance strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron Schauer
- New Zealand Liver Transplant Unit, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Marius van Rijnsoever
- Gastroenterology Department, North Shore Hospital, Waitemata District Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Edward Gane
- New Zealand Liver Transplant Unit, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
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Yang JD, Hainaut P, Gores GJ, Amadou A, Plymoth A, Roberts LR. A global view of hepatocellular carcinoma: trends, risk, prevention and management. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2019; 16:589-604. [PMID: 31439937 PMCID: PMC6813818 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-019-0186-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2346] [Impact Index Per Article: 469.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Risk factors for HCC include chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C, alcohol addiction, metabolic liver disease (particularly nonalcoholic fatty liver disease) and exposure to dietary toxins such as aflatoxins and aristolochic acid. All these risk factors are potentially preventable, highlighting the considerable potential of risk prevention for decreasing the global burden of HCC. HCC surveillance and early detection increase the chance of potentially curative treatment; however, HCC surveillance is substantially underutilized, even in countries with sufficient medical resources. Early-stage HCC can be treated curatively by local ablation, surgical resection or liver transplantation. Treatment selection depends on tumour characteristics, the severity of underlying liver dysfunction, age, other medical comorbidities, and available medical resources and local expertise. Catheter-based locoregional treatment is used in patients with intermediate-stage cancer. Kinase and immune checkpoint inhibitors have been shown to be effective treatment options in patients with advanced-stage HCC. Together, rational deployment of prevention, attainment of global goals for viral hepatitis eradication, and improvements in HCC surveillance and therapy hold promise for achieving a substantial reduction in the worldwide HCC burden within the next few decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju Dong Yang
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Comprehensive Transplant Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Pierre Hainaut
- Tumor Molecular Biology and Biomarkers Group, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U 1209 CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Gregory J Gores
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Amina Amadou
- Tumor Molecular Biology and Biomarkers Group, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm U 1209 CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Amelie Plymoth
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lewis R Roberts
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, USA.
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Pascual S, Miralles C, Bernabé JM, Irurzun J, Planells M. Surveillance and diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review. World J Clin Cases 2019; 7:2269-2286. [PMID: 31531321 PMCID: PMC6718786 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v7.i16.2269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) appears in most of cases in patients with advanced liver disease and is currently the primary cause of death in this population. Surveillance of HCC has been proposed and recommended in clinical guidelines to obtain earlier diagnosis, but it is still controversial and is not accepted worldwide.
AIM To review the actual evidence to support the surveillance programs in patients with cirrhosis as well as the diagnosis procedure.
METHODS Systematic review of recent literature of surveillance (tools, interval, cost-benefit, target population) and the role of imaging diagnosis (radiological non-invasive diagnosis, optimal modality and agents) of HCC.
RESULTS The benefits of surveillance of HCC, mainly with ultrasonography, have been assessed in several prospective and retrospective analysis, although the percentage of patients diagnosed in surveillance programs is still low. Surveillance of HCC permits diagnosis in early stages allows better access to curative treatment and increases life expectancy in patients with cirrhosis. HCC is a tumor with special radiological characteristics in computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, which allows highly accurate diagnosis without routine biopsy confirmation. The actual recommendation is to perform biopsy only in indeterminate nodules.
CONCLUSION The evidence supports the recommendation of performing surveillance of HCC in patients with cirrhosis susceptible of treatment, using ultrasonography every 6 mo. The diagnosis evaluation of HCC can be established based on noninvasive imaging criteria in patients with cirrhosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Pascual
- Liver Unit, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Alicante 03010, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, CIBEREHD, Alicante 03010, Spain
| | - Cayetano Miralles
- Liver Unit, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Alicante 03010, Spain
| | - Juan M Bernabé
- Radiology Department, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Alicante 03010, Spain
| | - Javier Irurzun
- Radiology Department, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Alicante 03010, Spain
| | - Mariana Planells
- Radiology Department, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Alicante 03010, Spain
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Hong TP, Gow PJ, Fink M, Dev A, Roberts SK, Nicoll A, Lubel JS, Kronborg I, Arachchi N, Ryan M, Kemp WW, Knight V, Sundararajan V, Desmond P, Thompson AJ, Bell SJ. Surveillance improves survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a prospective population-based study. Med J Aust 2019; 209:348-354. [PMID: 30309301 DOI: 10.5694/mja18.00373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To determine the factors associated with survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the effect of HCC surveillance on survival. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Prospective population-based cohort study of patients newly diagnosed with HCC in seven tertiary hospitals in Melbourne, 1 July 2012 - 30 June 2013. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Overall survival (maximum follow-up, 24 months); factors associated with HCC surveillance participation and survival. RESULTS 272 people were diagnosed with incident HCC during the study period; the most common risk factors were hepatitis C virus infection (41%), alcohol-related liver disease (39%), and hepatitis B virus infection (22%). Only 40% of patients participated in HCC surveillance at the time of diagnosis; participation was significantly higher among patients with smaller median tumour size (participants, 2.8 cm; non-participants, 6.0 cm; P < 0.001) and earlier Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage disease (A/B, 59%; C/D, 25%; P < 0.001). Participation was higher among patients with compensated cirrhosis or hepatitis C infections; it was lower among those with alcohol-related liver disease or decompensated liver disease. Median overall survival time was 20.8 months; mean survival time was 18.1 months (95% CI, 16.6-19.6 months). Participation in HCC surveillance was associated with significantly lower mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.60; 95% CI, 0.38-0.93; P = 0.021), as were curative therapies (aHR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.19-0.58). Conversely, higher Child-Pugh class, alpha-fetoprotein levels over 400 kU/L, and later BCLC disease stages were each associated with higher mortality. CONCLUSIONS Survival for patients with HCC is poor, but may be improved by surveillance, associated with the identification of earlier stage tumours, enabling curative therapies to be initiated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thai P Hong
- St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Marno Ryan
- St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC
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Frenette CT, Isaacson AJ, Bargellini I, Saab S, Singal AG. A Practical Guideline for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Screening in Patients at Risk. Mayo Clin Proc Innov Qual Outcomes 2019; 3:302-310. [PMID: 31485568 PMCID: PMC6713857 DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2019.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) arises in the context of cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections, and the diagnosis is often made at advanced stages. Because early-stage diagnosis improves survival, guidelines recommend screening patients at risk for HCC, such as patients with cirrhosis. However, adherence to screening programs is suboptimal. In this review, we discuss the value of HCC screening and provide practical guidance on patient selection and screening methods. International guidelines concordantly recommend HCC screening in patients with cirrhosis, including patients with HBV infections, hepatitis C virus infections with or without sustained virologic response, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. There is no consensus on screening patients without cirrhosis, although patients with advanced fibrosis, HBV infections, or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease without cirrhosis have an increased risk for development of HCC. Screening for HCC improves early tumor detection, receipt of curative treatment, and overall survival in at-risk patients. However, potential harms of HCC screening have not been well quantified. Semiannual abdominal ultrasonography is the screening modality of choice. Using ultrasonography in combination with biomarkers, such as α-fetoprotein, may increase accuracy for early HCC detection. The use of magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography is limited by cost-effectiveness and practical considerations. Increased awareness of HCC screening will allow for earlier diagnosis and potentially curative treatment. We propose a comprehensive screening algorithm for patients at risk for development of HCC, recommending lifelong, semiannual ultrasonography combined with α-fetoprotein testing in patients with cirrhosis and selected patients without cirrhosis.
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Key Words
- AFP, α-fetoprotein
- CT, computed tomography
- HBV, hepatitis B virus
- HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma
- HCV, hepatitis C virus
- MRI, magnetic resonance imaging
- NAFLD, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
- NASH, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
- RCT, randomized controlled trial
- SVR, sustained viral response
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ari J Isaacson
- Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
| | - Irene Bargellini
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Pisa University Hospital, Italy
| | - Sammy Saab
- Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Pfleger Liver Institute & General Surgery Suite, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Amit G Singal
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
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Kanwal F, Singal AG. Surveillance for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Current Best Practice and Future Direction. Gastroenterology 2019; 157:54-64. [PMID: 30986389 PMCID: PMC6636644 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2019.02.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 266] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular cancer (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and the fastest growing cause of cancer deaths in the United States. The overall prognosis of HCC remains dismal, except for the subset of patients who are diagnosed at early stage and receive potentially curative therapies, such as surgical resection and liver transplantation. Given this, expert society guidelines recommend HCC surveillance every 6 months in at-risk individuals. Despite these recommendations, the effectiveness of HCC surveillance remains a subject of debate. We discuss current best practices for HCC surveillance and the evidence that support these recommendations. We also describe several initiatives that are underway to improve HCC surveillance and outline areas that may serve as high-yield targets for future research. Overall, we believe these efforts will help the field move toward precision surveillance, where surveillance tests and intervals are tailored to individual HCC risk. Doing so can maximize surveillance benefits, minimize surveillance harms, and optimize overall value for all patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fasiha Kanwal
- Sections of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Health Services Research, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Center of Innovation, Effectiveness and Quality, Houston, Texas.
| | - Amit G. Singal
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
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Affiliation(s)
- Augusto Villanueva
- From the Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York
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Harris PS, Hansen RM, Gray ME, Massoud OI, McGuire BM, Shoreibah MG. Hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance: An evidence-based approach. World J Gastroenterol 2019; 25:1550-1559. [PMID: 30983815 PMCID: PMC6452232 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v25.i13.1550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 03/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) makes up 75%-85% of all primary liver cancers and is the fourth most common cause of cancer related death worldwide. Chronic liver disease is the most significant risk factor for HCC with 80%-90% of new cases occurring in the background of cirrhosis. Studies have shown that early diagnosis of HCC through surveillance programs improve prognosis and availability of curative therapies. All patients with cirrhosis and high-risk hepatitis B patients are at risk for HCC and should undergo surveillance. The recommended surveillance modality is abdominal ultrasound (US) given that it is cost effective and noninvasive with good sensitivity. However, US is limited in obese patients and those with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). With the current obesity epidemic and rise in the prevalence of NAFLD, abdominal computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging may be indicated as the primary screening modality in these patients. The addition of alpha-fetoprotein to a surveillance regimen is thought to improve the sensitivity of HCC detection. Further investigation of serum biomarkers is needed. Semiannual screening is the suggested surveillance interval. Surveillance for HCC is underutilized and low adherence disproportionately affects certain demographics such as non-Caucasian race and low socioeconomic status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick S Harris
- Tinsley Harrison Internal Medicine Residency Program, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Ross M Hansen
- Tinsley Harrison Internal Medicine Residency Program, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Meagan E Gray
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Omar I Massoud
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Brendan M McGuire
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Mohamed G Shoreibah
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
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Simmons OL, Feng Y, Parikh ND, Singal AG. Primary Care Provider Practice Patterns and Barriers to Hepatocellular Carcinoma Surveillance. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2019; 17:766-773. [PMID: 30056183 PMCID: PMC7212522 DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2018.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Revised: 07/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Low rates of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance are primarily due to provider-related process failures. However, few studies have evaluated primary care provider (PCP) practice patterns, attitudes, and barriers to HCC surveillance at academic tertiary care referral centers. METHODS We conducted a web-based survey of PCPs at 2 tertiary care referral centers (133 providers) from June 2017 through December 2017. The survey was adapted from pretested surveys and included questions about practice patterns, attitudes, and barriers to HCC surveillance. We used the Fisher exact and Mann-Whitney rank-sum tests to identify factors associated with adherence to HCC surveillance recommendations, for categoric and continuous variables, respectively. RESULTS We obtained a provider-level response rate of 75% and clinic-level response rate of 100% (133 providers). Whereas most PCPs performed HCC surveillance themselves, one-third deferred surveillance to subspecialists and referred patients to a hepatology clinic. Providers believed the combination of ultrasound and α-fetoprotein analysis to be highly effective for early stage tumor detection and reported using the combination for assessment of most patients. However, PCPs were more likely to use computed tomography- or magnetic resonance imaging-based surveillance for patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or decompensated cirrhosis. Most providers believed HCC surveillance to be efficacious for early tumor detection and increasing survival. However, they desired increased high-quality evidence to characterize screening benefits and harms. Providers expressed notable misconceptions about HCC surveillance, including the role for measurement of liver enzyme levels in HCC surveillance and cost effectiveness of surveillance in patients without cirrhosis. They also reported barriers, including not being up to date on HCC surveillance recommendations, limited time in the clinic, and competing clinical concerns. CONCLUSIONS In a web-based survey, PCPs reported misconceptions and barriers to HCC surveillance. This indicates the need for interventions, including provider education, to improve HCC surveillance effectiveness in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Okeefe L. Simmons
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Yuan Feng
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Neehar D. Parikh
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Amit G. Singal
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Costentin CE, Layese R, Roudot-Thoraval F, Audureau E, Nahon P. Reply. Gastroenterology 2019; 156:289-290. [PMID: 30472229 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2018.11.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte E Costentin
- AP-HP, Hôpital Henri Mondor, Service d'Hépatologie, Créteil, France and INSERM U1042, Hypoxie Physiopathologies cardiovasculaires et respiratoires, Faculté de Médecine-Pharmacie, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Richard Layese
- AP-HP, Hôpital Henri Mondor, Unité de Recherche Clinique (URC-Mondor) and Université Paris-Est, A-TVB DHU, CEpiA (Clinical Epidemiology and Ageing) Unit EA7376, UPEC, Créteil, France
| | | | - Etienne Audureau
- AP-HP, Hôpital Henri Mondor, Public Health Department and Université Paris-Est, A-TVB DHU, CEpiA (Clinical Epidemiology and Ageing) Unit EA7376, UPEC, Créteil, France
| | - Pierre Nahon
- AP-HP, Hôpital Jean Verdier, Service d'hépatologie, Bondy, France and Inserm UMR-1162, "Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors", Université Paris Descartes, Université Paris Diderot, Labex Oncoimmunology, Equipe labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer, Paris, France
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- AP-HP, Hôpital Jean Verdier, Service d'hépatologie, Bondy, France and Inserm UMR-1162, "Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors", Université Paris Descartes, Université Paris Diderot, Labex Oncoimmunology, Equipe labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer, Paris, France
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Toyoda H, Kumada T, Tada T, Mizuno K, Hiraoka A, Tsuji K, Ishikawa T, Akita T, Tanaka J. Impact of hepatocellular carcinoma aetiology and liver function on the benefit of surveillance: A novel approach for the adjustment of lead-time bias. Liver Int 2018; 38:2260-2268. [PMID: 29981527 DOI: 10.1111/liv.13927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Revised: 05/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Surveillance reportedly has benefit on survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), even after adjustment for lead-time bias. However, previous adjustment for lead-time bias using tumour volume doubling time (TVDT) had inherent problem in accuracy. We evaluated survival benefit of HCC surveillance with newly developed approach for adjusting lead-time bias. In addition, survival benefit was evaluated according to HCC aetiology and liver function. METHODS A total of 3899 patients were studied. TVDT was calculated in 255 study patients with ≥2 tumour size measurements before the diagnosis of HCC. Adjusted survival time was calculated based on TVDT, as the time from when HCC was assumed to be 5 mm to death or last follow-up. Survival rates based on this adjusted survival time were compared between the surveillance and nonsurveillance groups and categorized by HCC aetiology and liver function. RESULTS Calculated TVDT varied widely by study patients (median 141.9, IQR, 73.1-261.7 days). Survival rates based on adjusted survival time were higher in the surveillance group overall and by patients HCC aetiology. Whereas adjusted survival rates were higher in the surveillance group in Child-Pugh class A patients, the survival benefit was smaller in Child-Pugh class B patients and not statistically significant in Child-Pugh class C patients. CONCLUSIONS The survival benefit of surveillance for patients with HCC was demonstrated after adjustment for lead-time bias with novel, more accurate methodology. However, the benefits differed based on liver function and may vary largely by patients because of wide variation in TVDT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidenori Toyoda
- Department of Gastroenterology, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, Ogaki, Japan
| | - Takashi Kumada
- Department of Gastroenterology, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, Ogaki, Japan
| | - Toshifumi Tada
- Department of Gastroenterology, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, Ogaki, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Mizuno
- Department of Gastroenterology, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, Ogaki, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hiraoka
- Department of Gastroenterology, Ehime Prefectural Central Hospital, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Kunihiko Tsuji
- Center for Gastroenterology, Teine Keijinkai Hospital, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Toru Ishikawa
- Department of Hepatology, Saiseikai Niigata Daini Hospital, Niigata, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Akita
- Department of Epidemiology, Infectious Disease Control, and Prevention, Hiroshima University Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Junko Tanaka
- Department of Epidemiology, Infectious Disease Control, and Prevention, Hiroshima University Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan
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