1
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Hoang TPT, Schindler P, Börner N, Masthoff M, Gerwing M, von Beauvais P, De Toni EN, Lange CM, Trebicka J, Morgül H, Seidensticker M, Ricke J, Pascher A, Guba M, Ingrisch M, Wildgruber M, Öcal O. Imaging-Derived Biomarkers Integrated with Clinical and Laboratory Values Predict Recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Liver Transplantation. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2023; 10:2277-2289. [PMID: 38143909 PMCID: PMC10740736 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s431503] [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: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose To investigate the prognostic value of computed tomography (CT) derived imaging biomarkers in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence after liver transplantation (LT) and develop a predictive nomogram model. Patients and Methods This retrospective study included 178 patients with histopathologically confirmed HCC who underwent liver transplantation between 2007 and 2021 at the two academic liver centers. We evaluated dedicated imaging features from baseline multiphase contrast-enhanced CT supplemented by several clinical findings and laboratory parameters. Time-to-recurrence was estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Univariable Cox proportional hazard regression and multivariable Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression were used to assess independent prognostic factors for recurrence. A nomogram model was then built based on the independent factors selected through LASSO regression, to predict the probabilities of HCC recurrence at one, three, and five years. Results The rate of HCC recurrence after LT was 17.4% (31 of 178). The LASSO analysis revealed six independent predictors associated with an elevated risk of tumor recurrence. These predictors included the presence of peritumoral enhancement, the presence of over three tumor lesions, the largest tumor diameter greater than 3 cm, serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels exceeding 400 ng/mL, and the presence of a tumor capsule. Conversely, a history of bridging therapies was found to be correlated with a reduced risk of HCC recurrence. In addition, Kaplan-Meier curves showed patients with irregular margin, satellite nodules, or small lesions displayed shorter time-to-recurrence. Our nomogram demonstrated good performance, yielding a C-index of 0.835 and AUC values of 0.86, 0.88, and 0.85 for the predictions of 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year TTR, respectively. Conclusion Imaging parameters derived from baseline contrast-enhanced CT showing malignant behavior and aggressive growth patterns, along with serum AFP and history of bridging therapies, show potential as biomarkers for predicting HCC recurrence after transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Philipp Schindler
- Clinic for Radiology, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Börner
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Max Masthoff
- Clinic for Radiology, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Mirjam Gerwing
- Clinic for Radiology, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | | | - Enrico N De Toni
- Department for Internal Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christian M Lange
- Department for Internal Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jonel Trebicka
- Department for Internal Medicine B, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Haluk Morgül
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Max Seidensticker
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jens Ricke
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Pascher
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Markus Guba
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael Ingrisch
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Moritz Wildgruber
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Osman Öcal
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
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2
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Li X, Bao H, Shi Y, Zhu W, Peng Z, Yan L, Chen J, Shu X. Machine learning methods for accurately predicting survival and guiding treatment in stage I and II hepatocellular carcinoma. Medicine (Baltimore) 2023; 102:e35892. [PMID: 37960763 PMCID: PMC10637529 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000035892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Accurately predicting survival in patients with early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is essential for making informed decisions about treatment and prognosis. Herein, we have developed a machine learning (ML) model that can predict patient survival and guide treatment decisions. We obtained patient demographic information, tumor characteristics, and treatment details from the SEER database. To analyze the data, we employed a Cox proportional hazards (CoxPH) model as well as 3 ML algorithms: neural network multitask logistic regression (N-MLTR), DeepSurv, and random survival forest (RSF). Our evaluation relied on the concordance index (C-index) and Integrated Brier Score (IBS). Additionally, we provided personalized treatment recommendations regarding surgery and chemotherapy choices and validated models' efficacy. A total of 1136 patients with early-stage (I, II) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent liver resection or transplantation were randomly divided into training and validation cohorts at a ratio of 3:7. Feature selection was conducted using Cox regression analyses. The ML models (NMLTR: C-index = 0.6793; DeepSurv: C-index = 0.7028; RSF: C-index = 0.6890) showed better discrimination in predicting survival than the standard CoxPH model (C-index = 0.6696). Patients who received recommended treatments had higher survival rates than those who received unrecommended treatments. ML-based surgery treatment recommendations yielded higher hazard ratios (HRs): NMTLR HR = 0.36 (95% CI: 0.25-0.51, P < .001), DeepSurv HR = 0.34 (95% CI: 0.24-0.49, P < .001), and RSF HR = 0.37 (95% CI: 0.26-0.52, P = <.001). Chemotherapy treatment recommendations were associated with significantly improved survival for DeepSurv (HR: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.4-0.82, P = .002) and RSF (HR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.46-0.94, P = .020). The ML survival model has the potential to benefit prognostic evaluation and treatment of HCC. This novel analytical approach could provide reliable information on individual survival and treatment recommendations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianguo Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Haijun Bao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yongping Shi
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenzhong Zhu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zuojie Peng
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Lizhao Yan
- Department of Hand Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jinhuang Chen
- Department of Emergency Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaogang Shu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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Hu X, Chen R, Wei Q, Xu X. The Landscape Of Alpha Fetoprotein In Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Where Are We? Int J Biol Sci 2022; 18:536-551. [PMID: 35002508 PMCID: PMC8741863 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.64537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and has been acknowledged as a leading cause of death among cirrhosis patients. Difficulties in early diagnosis and heterogeneity are obstacles to effective treatment, especially for advanced HCC. Liver transplantation (LT) is considered the best therapy for HCC. Although many biomarkers are being proposed, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), which was identified over 60 years ago, remains the most utilized. Recently, much hope has been placed in the immunogenicity of AFP to develop novel therapies, such as AFP vaccines and AFP-specific adoptive T-cell transfer (ACT). This review summarizes the performance of AFP as a biomarker for HCC diagnosis and prognosis, as well as its correlation with molecular classes. In addition, the role of AFP in LT is also described. Finally, we highlight the mechanism and application prospects of two immune therapies (AFP vaccine and ACT) for HCC. In general, our review points out the prevalence of AFP in HCC, accompanied by some controversies and novel directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Hu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Center for Integrated Oncology and Precision Medicine, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China.,Zhejiang University Cancer Center, Hangzhou, 310058, China.,Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Ronggao Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Qiang Wei
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Center for Integrated Oncology and Precision Medicine, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China
| | - Xiao Xu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Center for Integrated Oncology and Precision Medicine, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China.,Zhejiang University Cancer Center, Hangzhou, 310058, China.,Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, China.,Institute of Organ Transplantation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
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Pelizzaro F, Gambato M, Gringeri E, Vitale A, Cillo U, Farinati F, Burra P, Russo FP. Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recurrence after Liver Transplantation. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13194882. [PMID: 34638365 PMCID: PMC8508053 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13194882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an increasingly important indication for liver transplantation (LT) worldwide. However, LT in the setting of liver cancer is burdened by the risk of tumor recurrence. The prognosis of patients with post-LT HCC recurrence is still very poor and several areas of uncertainty remain in the management of these patients. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive evaluation of available evidence regarding the management of HCC recurrence after LT, starting from the pre- and post-transplant stratification criteria and encompassing post-LT surveillance, preventive strategies and treatment. Much work has been done in the last several years but further effort is still needed in order to improve the outcome of these patients. Abstract Recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after liver transplantation (LT), occurring in 10–15% of cases, is a major concern. A lot of work has been done in order to refine the selection of LT candidates with HCC and to improve the outcome of patients with recurrence. Despite this, the prognosis of these patients remains poor, partly due to the several areas of uncertainty in their management. Even if surveillance for HCC recurrence is crucial for early detection, there is currently no evidence to support a specific and cost-effective post-LT surveillance strategy. Concerning preventive measures, consensus on the best immunosuppressive drugs has not been reached and not enough data to support adjuvant therapy are present. Several therapeutic approaches (surgical, locoregional and systemic treatments) are available in case of recurrence, but there are still few data in the post-LT setting. Moreover, the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors is controversial in transplant recipients considered the risk of rejection. In this paper, the available evidence on the management of HCC recurrence after LT is comprehensively reviewed, considering pre- and post-transplant risk stratification, post-transplant surveillance, preventive strategies and treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Pelizzaro
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (F.P.); (M.G.); (F.F.); (P.B.)
| | - Martina Gambato
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (F.P.); (M.G.); (F.F.); (P.B.)
- Multivisceral Transplant Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Enrico Gringeri
- Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (E.G.); (A.V.); (U.C.)
| | - Alessandro Vitale
- Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (E.G.); (A.V.); (U.C.)
| | - Umberto Cillo
- Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (E.G.); (A.V.); (U.C.)
| | - Fabio Farinati
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (F.P.); (M.G.); (F.F.); (P.B.)
| | - Patrizia Burra
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (F.P.); (M.G.); (F.F.); (P.B.)
- Multivisceral Transplant Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Francesco Paolo Russo
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (F.P.); (M.G.); (F.F.); (P.B.)
- Multivisceral Transplant Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
- Correspondence:
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Immunological Markers, Prognostic Factors and Challenges Following Curative Treatments for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910271. [PMID: 34638613 PMCID: PMC8508906 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortalities worldwide. Patients with early-stage HCC are eligible for curative treatments, such as surgical resection, liver transplantation (LT) and percutaneous ablation. Although curative treatments provide excellent long-term survival, almost 70–80% of patients experience HCC recurrence after curative treatments. Tumor-related factors, including tumor size, number and differentiation, and underlying liver disease, are well-known risk factors for recurrence following curative therapies. Moreover, the tumor microenvironment (TME) also plays a key role in the recurrence of HCC. Many immunosuppressive mechanisms, such as an increase in regulatory T cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells with a decrease in cytotoxic T cells, are implicated in HCC recurrence. These suppressive TMEs are also modulated by several factors and pathways, including mammalian target of rapamycin signaling, vascular endothelial growth factor, programmed cell death protein 1 and its ligand 1. Based on these mechanisms and the promising results of immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) in advanced HCC, there have been several ongoing adjuvant studies using a single or combination of ICB following curative treatments in HCC. In this review, we strive to provide biologic and immunological markers, prognostic factors, and challenges associated with clinical outcomes after curative treatments, including resection, LT and ablation.
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Lerut J, Foguenne M, Lai Q. Hepatocellular cancer selection systems and liver transplantation: from the tower of babel to an ideal comprehensive score. Updates Surg 2021; 73:1599-1614. [PMID: 34003479 PMCID: PMC8500859 DOI: 10.1007/s13304-021-01078-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The Milan criteria (MC) remain the cornerstone for the selection of patients with hepatocellular cancer (HCC) to be listed for liver transplantation (LT). Recently, several expanded criteria have been proposed to increase the transplantability of HCC patients without compromising their (oncologic) outcome. This paper aims to systematically review the different reported HCC-LT selection systems looking thereby at their ability to increase the number of transplantable patients and the overall survival and oncological outcome. A systematic review of the literature covering the period 1993 (date of the first reported HCC-LT selection system)–2021 identified 59 different inclusion criteria of HCC for LT. Among the 59 studies reporting HCC-LT selection systems, 15 (28.3%) were exclusively based on morphological aspects of the tumor; 29 (54.7%) included biologic, seven (13.2%) radiological, and two (3.8%) only included pathological tumor features. Overall, 31% more patients could be transplanted when adhering to the new HCC-LT selection systems. Despite the increased number of LT, 5-year patient and disease-free survival rates were similar between MC-IN and MC-OUT/new HCC-LT-IN criteria. A careful extension of the inclusion criteria should allow many more patients to access a potentially curative LT without compromising their outcome. The development of a widely accepted “comprehensive” HCC-LT Score able to offer a fair chance of justified transplantation to more patients should become a priority within the liver transplant community. Further studies are needed to develop internationally accepted, expanded selection criteria for liver transplantation of HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Lerut
- Institute for Experimental and Clinical Research (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Avenue Hippocrates 55, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Maxime Foguenne
- University Hospitals Saint-Luc Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Quirino Lai
- General Surgery and Organ Transplantation Unit, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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Kim K, Kim TH, Kim TH, Seong J. Efficacy of Local Therapy for Oligometastatic Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Propensity Score Matched Analysis. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2021; 8:35-44. [PMID: 33604314 PMCID: PMC7886258 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s290197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose With respect to various solid cancers, patients with oligometastasis may benefit from local therapy. However, this approach is not widely accepted for hepatocellular carcinoma. This study investigated the efficacy of local therapy for oligometastatic lesions in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Patients and Methods The study included 69 hepatocellular carcinoma patients presenting with oligometastasis to the lung. Characteristics of the patients and treatment options for metastatic lesions were reviewed, and a survival analysis was performed. After propensity score matching, overall survival and progression-free survival were calculated from the time of pulmonary metastasis detection. Factors predicting prognosis were analyzed using a multivariate Cox regression analysis. Results After propensity score matching, 58 patients with Child-Pugh grade A disease were selected. Among them, 22 patients were treated with systemic therapy alone while 36 patients received local therapy or a combination of local and systemic therapies for metastatic lesions. Survival rates were higher in patients receiving local therapy than in those receiving systemic therapy (2-year overall survival rate, 66.6 vs 31.2%, p<0.001; 2-year progression-free survival rate, 47.0 vs 10.6%, p=0.005). In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, alpha-fetoprotein levels less than 400 ng/mL and the use of local therapy for metastatic lesions were found to be significant favorable prognostic factors. Conclusion Local therapy for metastatic lesions improved the oncologic outcomes of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with pulmonary oligometastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangpyo Kim
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Hyung Kim
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Hyun Kim
- Department of Statistics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jinsil Seong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Bento de Sousa JH, Calil IL, Tustumi F, da Cunha Khalil D, Felga GEG, de Arruda Pecora RA, de Almeida MD. Comparison between Milan and UCSF criteria for liver transplantation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Transl Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021; 6:11. [PMID: 33409405 DOI: 10.21037/tgh.2020.01.06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Liver transplantation is the main treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, because of the limited supply of transplant organs, it is necessary to adopt a criterion that selects patients who will achieve adequate survival after transplantation. The aim of this review is to compare the two main staging criteria of HCC for the indication of liver transplantation (Milan and UCSF) and to analyze the post-transplantation survival rate at 1, 3 and 5 years. Methods This is a systematic review and meta-analysis in which scientific articles from 5 databases (PubMed, Lilacs, Embase, Central, and Cinahl) were analyzed. The studies included in the review consisted of liver transplantation in patients with HCC in different subgroups according to donor type (deceased × living), population (eastern × western) and tumor evaluation (radiological × pathological) and adopted the Milan or UCSF criteria for the indication of the procedure. Results There was no significant difference between the Milan and UCSF criteria in the overall survival rate at 1, 3 or 5 years, and the overall estimated value found was 1.03 [0.90, 1.17] at 1 year, 1.06 [0.96, 1.16] at 3 years and 1.04 [0.96, 1.12] at 5 years. Regarding the analysis of the subgroups, no significant difference was observed in any of the subgroups with a follow-up of 1, 3 or 5 years. Conclusions Both the Milan and UCSF criteria have equivalent survival rate. Thus, less restrictive method would not result in a great loss in the final overall survival rate and would benefit a greater number of patients.
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Özdemir F, Baskiran A. The Importance of AFP in Liver Transplantation for HCC. J Gastrointest Cancer 2020; 51:1127-1132. [DOI: 10.1007/s12029-020-00486-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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10
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Song BG, Sinn DH, Kang W, Gwak GY, Paik YH, Choi MS, Lee JH, Koh KC, Paik SW, Kim JM, Joh JW, Choi GS. Changes in Tumor Markers and Their Implications in Selecting Liver Transplantation for Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Transplant Proc 2020; 52:881-888. [PMID: 32115240 DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2020.01.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM It has been suggested that tumor markers can provide additional information over tumor size and number-based liver transplantation (LT) criteria. We aimed to assess if changes in tumor markers are associated with the risk of tumor recurrence after LT for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who received loco-regional therapies (LRTs). METHODS A total of 129 patients who received LT with pre-LT LRTs for HCC were analyzed. Milan criteria and tumor markers, alpha-fetoprotein, and protein induced by vitamin K antagonist II, at diagnosis and at transplant were assessed. The primary outcome was tumor recurrence. RESULTS When patients were stratified by radiologic criteria, cumulative recurrence rates at 3 years for patients who were not down-staged (outside Milan to outside Milan), progressed (within Milan to outside Milan), down-staged (outside Milan to within Milan), and bridged (within Milan to within Milan) were 66.7%, 58.3%, 18.7%, and 8.5%, respectively (P < .001). Among patients who were transplanted within Milan criteria at transplant (n = 113), cumulative recurrence rates at 3 years were highest for those with persistently high tumor markers (high to high, 21.7%), followed by those with increase in tumor markers (low to high, 11.1%), those with normalization of tumor markers (high to low, 5.6%), and those with persistently low tumor markers (low to low, 0%), respectively, after LRTs (P = .035). CONCLUSIONS Changes of tumor markers can provide additional information on the risk of recurrence after LT among HCC patients who received LRTs, indicating that they could be used to refine current LT selection criteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byeong Geun Song
- Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Dong Hyun Sinn
- Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
| | - Wonseok Kang
- Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Geum-Youn Gwak
- Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yong-Han Paik
- Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Moon Seok Choi
- Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Joon Hyeok Lee
- Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kwang Cheol Koh
- Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Seung Woon Paik
- Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jong Man Kim
- Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jae-Won Joh
- Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Gyu-Seong Choi
- Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
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Casadei-Gardini A, Orsi G, Caputo F, Ercolani G. Developments in predictive biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma therapy. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2020; 20:63-74. [PMID: 31910040 DOI: 10.1080/14737140.2020.1712198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary tumor of the liver and the third largest cause of cancer-relateddeaths worldwide. Potentially curative treatments (surgical resection, radiofrequency or liver transplantation) are only available for few patients, while transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) or systemic agents are the best treatments for intermediate and advanced stage disease. The identification of markers that allow us to choose the best treatment for the patient is urgent.Areas covered: In this review we summarize the potential biological markers to predict the efficacy of all treatment available in patients with HCC and discuss anew biomarker with ahigher potential of success in the next future.Expert opinion: HCC is aheterogeneous disease. Tumors are heterogeneous in terms of genetic alteration,with spatial heterogeneity in cellular density, necrosis and angiogenesis.This heterogeneity may affect prognosis and treatment. Tumor heterogeneity can be difficult to quantify with traditional imaging due to subjective assessment of images; the same for sampling biopsy, which evaluates only asmall part of the tumor. We think that combining multi-OMICSwith radiomics represents apromising strategy for evaluating tumor heterogenicity and for identifying biomarkers of response and prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Casadei-Gardini
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences for Children & Adults, University-Hospital of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Giulia Orsi
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences for Children & Adults, University-Hospital of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Francesco Caputo
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences for Children & Adults, University-Hospital of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Giorgio Ercolani
- General and Oncology Surgery, Morgagni-Pierantoni Hospital, Forli, Italy.,Department of Medical & Surgical Sciences-DIMEC, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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12
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Galle PR, Foerster F, Kudo M, Chan SL, Llovet JM, Qin S, Schelman WR, Chintharlapalli S, Abada PB, Sherman M, Zhu AX. Biology and significance of alpha-fetoprotein in hepatocellular carcinoma. Liver Int 2019; 39:2214-2229. [PMID: 31436873 DOI: 10.1111/liv.14223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 316] [Impact Index Per Article: 63.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common causes of cancer-related deaths globally due, in part, to the majority of patients being diagnosed with intermediate or advanced stage disease. Our increased understanding of the heterogeneous molecular pathogenesis of HCC has led to significant developments in novel targeted therapies. Despite these advances, there remains a high unmet need for new treatment options. HCC is a complex disease with multiple pathogenic mechanisms caused by a variety of risk factors, making it difficult to characterize with a single biomarker. In fact, numerous biomarkers have been studied in HCC, but alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) remains the most widely used and accepted serum marker since its discovery over 60 years ago. This review summarizes the most relevant studies associated with the regulation of AFP at the gene and protein levels; the pathophysiology of AFP as a pro-proliferative protein; and the correlation of AFP with molecular HCC subclasses, the vascular endothelial growth factor pathway and angiogenesis. Also described are the historical and current uses of AFP for screening and surveillance, diagnosis, its utility as a prognostic and predictive biomarker and its role as a tumour antigen in HCC. Taken together, these data demonstrate the relevance of AFP for patients with HCC and identify several remaining questions that will benefit from future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter R Galle
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Friedrich Foerster
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | | | | | - Josep M Llovet
- Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA.,Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Shukui Qin
- Cancer Center of Bayi Hospital, Nanjing Chinese Medicine University, Nanjing, China
| | | | | | | | | | - Andrew X Zhu
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
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13
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Comparison of Models for Tumor Recurrence after Liver Transplantation for the Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Multicenter Long-Term Follow-Up Study. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11091295. [PMID: 31484287 PMCID: PMC6769632 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11091295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Several models have been developed to predict tumor the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after liver transplantation besides the conventional Milan criteria (MC), including the MoRAL score. This study aimed to compare the prognostication power of the MoRAL score to most models designed so far in the Eastern and Western countries. METHODS This study included 564 patients who underwent living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) in three large-volume hospitals in Korea. The primary and secondary endpoints were time-to-recurrence, and overall survival (OS), respectively. The performance of the MoRAL score was compared with those of other various Liver transplantation (LT) criteria, including the Milan criteria, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) criteria, up-to-seven criteria, Kyoto criteria, AFP model, total tumor volume/AFP criteria, Metroticket 2.0 model, and Weill Cornell Medical College group model. RESULTS The median follow-up duration was 78.1 months. Among all models assessed, the MoRAL score showed the best discrimination function for predicting the risk of tumor recurrence after LT, with c-index of 0.78, compared to other models (all p < 0.001). The MoRAL score also represented the best calibration function by Hosmer-Lemeshow test (p = 0.15). Especially in the beyond-MC sub-cohort, the MoRAL score predicted tumor recurrence (c-index, 0.80) and overall survival (OS) (c-index, 0.70) significantly better than any other models (all p < 0.001). When the MoRAL score was low (<314.8), the five-year cumulative risks of tumor recurrence and death were excellent in beyond-MC (27.8%, and 20.5%, respectively) and within-MC (16.3%, and 21.1%, respectively) sub-cohorts. CONCLUSIONS The MoRAL score provides the most refined prognostication for predicting HCC recurrence after LDLT.
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14
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Xu D, Sheng JQ, Hu PJH, Huang TS, Lee WC. Predicting hepatocellular carcinoma recurrences: A data-driven multiclass classification method incorporating latent variables. J Biomed Inform 2019; 96:103237. [PMID: 31238108 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbi.2019.103237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 03/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a malignant form of cancer, is frequently treated with surgical resections, which have relatively high recurrence rates. Effective recurrence predictions enable physicians' timely detections and adequate therapeutic measures that can greatly improve patient care and outcomes. Toward that end, predictions of early versus late HCC recurrences should be considered separately to reflect their distinct onset time horizons, clinical causes, underlying clinical etiology, and pathogenesis. We propose a novel Bayesian network-based method to predict different HCC recurrence outcomes by considering the respective recurrence evolution paths. Typical patient information obtained in early stages is insufficiently informative to predict recurrence outcomes accurately, due to the lack of subsequent patient progression information. Our method alleviates such information deficiency constraints by incorporating an independent latent variable, dominant recurrence type, to regulate recurrence outcome predictions (early, late, or no recurrence). We use a real-world HCC data set to evaluate the proposed method, relative to three prevalent benchmark techniques. Overall, the results show that our method consistently and significantly outperforms all the benchmark techniques in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, and F-measures. For increased robustness, we use another data set to perform an out-of-sample evaluation and obtain similar results. This study thus contributes to HCC recurrence research and offers several implications for clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Xu
- Department of Operations and Information Systems, David Eccles School of Business, University of Utah, USA.
| | - Jessica Qiuhua Sheng
- Department of Operations and Information Systems, David Eccles School of Business, University of Utah, USA.
| | - Paul Jen-Hwa Hu
- Department of Operations and Information Systems, David Eccles School of Business, University of Utah, USA.
| | - Ting Shuo Huang
- Department of General Surgery, Community Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Chinese Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kwei-Shan, Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC.
| | - Wei-Chen Lee
- Department of Liver and Transplantation Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kwei-Shan, Taoyuan,Taiwan, ROC.
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15
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Pagano D, Barbera F, Conaldi PG, Seidita A, Di Francesco F, Di Carlo D, Bàrbara M, Tuzzolino F, Luca A, Gruttadauria S. Role of Allelic Imbalance in Predicting Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) Recurrence Risk After Liver Transplant. Ann Transplant 2019; 24:223-233. [PMID: 31015392 PMCID: PMC6500106 DOI: 10.12659/aot.913692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background One of the most controversial problems for liver transplantation in patients affected by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains the lack of an oncologic staging system to predict cancer recurrence after liver transplantation (LT). We analyzed allelic imbalance (AI) in 19 microsatellites, and assessed the post-LT HCC recurrence risk. Material/Methods Seventy-one patients were included; 18 had tumor recurrence within 5 years post-transplant. Molecular analysis was done in the primary HCC and peripheral blood samples: a total of 19 microsatellites was used to assess AI. Specific AI was evaluated when outside of range value between 0.66 and 1.5. Based on data in the literature, we grouped the 19 microsatellites into 4 panels. We calculated the fractional allelic imbalance (FAI) to make comparisons between different panels including different subsets of microsatellites. Results We report that AI was associated with HCC recurrence in 3 main loci (D3S2303, D9S251, and D9S254). Tumor recurrence was associated only with 2 specific panels with 9 microsatellites previously reported to be associated with high risk for HCC recurrence. Our data show that fractional allelic imbalance (FAI) index has good negative ability to predict HCC recurrence (Panel 2: negative predictive value of 95%). Conclusions AI analysis could have prognostic value in risk management of HCC recurrence after LT, especially for early recurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duilio Pagano
- Department for Treatment and Study of Abdominal Diseases and Abdominal Transplantation, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and High Specialization Therapies (IRCCS-ISMETT), Palermo, Italy
| | - Floriana Barbera
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Advanced Biotechnologies, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and High Specialization Therapies (IRCCS-ISMETT), Palermo, Italy
| | - Pier Giulio Conaldi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Advanced Biotechnologies, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and High Specialization Therapies (IRCCS-ISMETT), Palermo, Italy.,Ri.MED Foundation, Palermo, Italy
| | - Aurelio Seidita
- Department for Treatment and Study of Abdominal Diseases and Abdominal Transplantation, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and High Specialization Therapies (IRCCS-ISMETT), Palermo, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Di Francesco
- Department for Treatment and Study of Abdominal Diseases and Abdominal Transplantation, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and High Specialization Therapies (IRCCS-ISMETT), Palermo, Italy
| | - Daniele Di Carlo
- Department for Treatment and Study of Abdominal Diseases and Abdominal Transplantation, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and High Specialization Therapies (IRCCS-ISMETT), Palermo, Italy
| | - Marco Bàrbara
- Department for Treatment and Study of Abdominal Diseases and Abdominal Transplantation, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and High Specialization Therapies (IRCCS-ISMETT), Palermo, Italy
| | - Fabio Tuzzolino
- Research Office, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and High Specialization Therapies (IRCCS-ISMETT), Palermo, Italy
| | - Angelo Luca
- Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and High Specialization Therapies (IRCCS-ISMETT), Palermo, Italy
| | - Salvatore Gruttadauria
- Department for Treatment and Study of Abdominal Diseases and Abdominal Transplantation, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and High Specialization Therapies (IRCCS-ISMETT), Palermo, Italy
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16
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Ma KW, She WH, Chan ACY, Cheung TT, Fung JYY, Dai WC, Lo CM, Chok KSH. Validated model for prediction of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation in Asian population. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2019; 11:322-334. [PMID: 31040897 PMCID: PMC6475674 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v11.i4.322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Revised: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Liver transplantation (LT) is regarded as the best treatment for both primary and recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Post-transplant HCC recurrence rate is relatively low but significant, ranging from 10%-30% according to different series. When recurrence happens, it is usually extrahepatic and associated with poor prognosis. A predictive model that allows patient stratification according to recurrence risk can help to individualize post-transplant surveillance protocol and guidance of the use of anti-tumor immunosuppressive agents.
AIM To develop a scoring system to predict HCC recurrence after LT in an Asian population.
METHODS Consecutive patients having LT for HCC from 1995 to 2016 at our hospital were recruited. They were randomized into the training set and the validation set in a 60:40 ratio. Multivariable Cox regression model was used to identity factors associated with HCC recurrence. A risk score was assigned to each factor according to the odds ratio. Accuracy of the score was assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve.
RESULTS In total, 330 patients were eligible for analysis (183 in training and 147 in validation). Recurrent HCC developed in 14.2% of them. The median follow-up duration was 65.6 mo. The 5-year disease-free and overall survival rates were 78% and 80%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, alpha-fetoprotein > 400 ng/mL [P = 0.012, hazard ratio (HR) 2.92], sum of maximum tumor size and number (P = 0.013, HR 1.15), and salvage LT (P = 0.033, HR 2.08) were found to be independent factors for disease-free survival. A risk score was calculated for each patient with good discriminatory power (c-stat 0.748 and 0.85, respectively, in the training and validation sets). With the derived scores, patients were classified into low- (0–9), moderate- (> 9–14), and high-risk groups (> 14), and the risk of HCC recurrence in the training and validation sets was 10%, 20%, 54% (c-stat 0.67) and 4%, 22%, 62% (c-stat 0.811), accordingly. The risk stratification model was validated with chi-squared goodness-of-fit test (P = 0.425).
CONCLUSION A validated predictive model featuring alpha-fetoprotein, salvage LT, and the sum of largest tumor diameter and total number of tumor nodule provides simple and reliable guidance for individualizing postoperative surveillance strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka Wing Ma
- Department of Surgery, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wong Hoi She
- Department of Surgery, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Albert Chi Yan Chan
- Department of Surgery and State Key Laboratory for Liver Research, the University of Hong Kong, 102 Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tan To Cheung
- Department of Surgery and State Key Laboratory for Liver Research, the University of Hong Kong, 102 Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - James Yan Yue Fung
- Department of Medicine and State Key Laboratory for Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wing Chiu Dai
- Department of Surgery, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chung Mau Lo
- Department of Surgery and State Key Laboratory for Liver Research, the University of Hong Kong, 102 Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kenneth Siu Ho Chok
- Department of Surgery and State Key Laboratory for Liver Research, the University of Hong Kong, 102 Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
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17
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Citores MJ, Lucena JL, de la Fuente S, Cuervas-Mons V. Serum biomarkers and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after liver transplantation. World J Hepatol 2019; 11:50-64. [PMID: 30705718 PMCID: PMC6354126 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v11.i1.50] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver transplantation (LT) is the only potentially curative treatment for selected patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who are not candidates for resection. When the Milan criteria are strictly applied, 75% to 85%of 3- to 4-year actuarial survival rates are achieved, but up to 20% of the patients experience HCC recurrence after transplantation. The Milan criteria are based on the preoperative tumor macromorphology, tumor size and number on computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging that neither correlate well with posttransplant histological study of the liver explant nor accurately predict HCC recurrence after LT, since they do not include objective measures of tumor biology. Preoperative biological markers, including alpha-fetoprotein, des-gamma-carboxiprothrombin or neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, can predict the risk for HCC recurrence after transplantation. These biomarkers have been proposed as surrogate markers of tumor differentiation and vascular invasion, with varied risk magnitudes depending on the defined cutoffs. Different studies have shown that the combination of one or several biomarkers integrated into prognostic models predict the risk of HCC recurrence after LT more accurately than Milan criteria alone. In this review, we focus on the potential utility of these serum biological markers to improve the performance of Milan criteria to identify patients at high risk of tumoral recurrence after LT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria J Citores
- Department of Internal Medicine, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Puerta de Hierro-Segovia de Arana, Majadahonda 28222, Spain
| | - Jose L Lucena
- Liver Transplantation Unit, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro-Majadahonda, Majadahonda 28222, Spain
- Department of Surgery, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro-Majadahonda, Majadahonda 28222, Spain
| | - Sara de la Fuente
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro-Majadahonda, Majadahonda 28222, Spain
| | - Valentin Cuervas-Mons
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro-Majadahonda, Majadahonda 28222, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid 28029, Spain
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18
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Patterns of Discordance Between Pretransplant Imaging Stage of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Posttransplant Pathologic Stage: A Contemporary Appraisal of the Milan Criteria. Transplantation 2018; 102:648-655. [PMID: 29319629 DOI: 10.1097/tp.0000000000002056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) exceeding Milan criteria on explant pathology are at increased risk of recurrence and death. Discordance between contemporary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and explant pathology, and preoperative characteristics predictive of discordance are not well understood. METHODS Patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation for HCC after preoperative MRI were identified in a prospectively collected institutional database (January 2003 to December 2013). Patients were dichotomized to "within" or "outside" Milan criteria by both imaging and explant pathologic evaluation. Binary logistic regression and Kaplan-Meier methodology were used to identify independent predictors of imaging/pathologic discordance and its impact on posttransplant survival. RESULTS Of 318 patients with HCC meeting Milan criteria by MRI at the time of orthotopic liver transplantation, 248 (78.0%) remained within a pathological correlate of Milan criteria on explant examination. Understaging was associated with worse median recurrence-free survival (64.0 months vs 140.0 months, P = 0.002) and overall survival (96.0 months vs 143.0 months, P = 0.005), and did not vary between patients exceeding criteria due to tumor explant greater than 5 cm, more than 3 tumor foci, or a tumor greater than 3 cm in the setting of multifocality. Discordance was independently associated with an increasing serum alpha fetal protein level (odds ratio, 2.82; 95% confidence interval, 1.37-5.79; P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS Underestimating HCC burden before liver transplant remains frequent despite contemporary imaging technologies. Patients with an increasing alpha fetal protein before transplantation may benefit from more frequent testing or novel neoadjuvant therapies.
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19
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Wang LY, Zheng SS. Advances in predicting the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma recipients after liver transplantation. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B 2018; 19:497-504. [PMID: 29971988 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.b1700156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors worldwide. Liver transplantation (LT) is known as a curative and therapeutic modality. However, the survival rates of recipients after LT are still not good enough because of tumor recurrence. To improve the survival rates of recipients after LT, identifying predictive factors for prognosis after LT and establishing a model assessing prognosis are very important to HCC patients. There has recently been a lot of clinical and basic research on recurrence and prognosis after LT. Progress has been made, especially in selection criteria for LT recipients and risk factors for predicting prognosis after LT. Hangzhou criteria, in line with China's high current incidence rate of primary liver, are first proposed by Chinese scholars of LT, and are accepted world-wide, and make an important contribution to the development of LT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Ying Wang
- Department of Ultrasound, Shaoxing Second Hospital, Shaoxing 312000, China
| | - Shu-Sen Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation, Ministry of Health, Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China
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20
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Lee HW, Song GW, Lee SG, Kim JM, Joh JW, Han DH, Kim SI, Kim SH, Kim DS, Cho JY, Suh KS. Patient Selection by Tumor Markers in Liver Transplantation for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Liver Transpl 2018; 24:1243-1251. [PMID: 29575509 DOI: 10.1002/lt.25056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Although far advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is generally considered a contraindication for liver transplantation (LT), biologically favorable tumors among them could show acceptable results. However, it is still unclear which tumors can be treated with LT. Data were collected on adult patients who underwent LT for HCC beyond the Milan criteria in 8 Korean LT centers between January 2000 and June 2013. Far advanced HCC was defined as HCC with the largest tumor ≥ 10 cm, 10 or more tumor nodules, or accompanying macrovascular invasion. A total of 688 patients, including 169 with far advanced HCC, were enrolled in this study. The 5-year overall and recurrence-free survival rates were 60.4% and 55.1%, respectively, for all patients but only 28.7% and 24.8%, respectively, for patients with far advanced HCC (P < 0.001). Both preoperative alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist II (PIVKA-II) were significant risk factors for HCC recurrence after LT. In particular, AFP + PIVKA-II combined was a better predictor than either marker alone. Of all far advanced HCC patients with available AFP and PIVKA-II levels, 45 (30.8%) had low AFP + PIVKA-II (≤300) and their 5-year overall and recurrence-free survival rate were 47.8% and 53.4%, respectively, which were acceptable and significantly superior to those of patients with AFP (ng/mL) + PIVKA-II (nAU/mL) > 300 (21.0% and 10.8%, respectively; P < 0.001). In conclusion, patients with favorable HCC had acceptable outcomes after LT even when their tumors were extremely advanced. AFP + PIVKA-II gave reliable information about the tumor biology of far advanced HCC. Liver Transplantation 00 000-000 2018 AASLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hae Won Lee
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Gi-Won Song
- Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sung-Gyu Lee
- Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jong Man Kim
- Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jae-Won Joh
- Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Dai Hoon Han
- Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Soon Il Kim
- Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seong Hoon Kim
- Center for Liver Cancer, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea
| | - Dong-Sik Kim
- Department of Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jai Young Cho
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kyung-Suk Suh
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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21
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Qu Z, Ling Q, Gwiasda J, Xu X, Schrem H, Beneke J, Kaltenborn A, Krauth C, Mix H, Klempnauer J, Emmanouilidis N. Hangzhou criteria are more accurate than Milan criteria in predicting long-term survival after liver transplantation for HCC in Germany. Langenbecks Arch Surg 2018; 403:643-654. [PMID: 30120543 DOI: 10.1007/s00423-018-1696-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Milan criteria are used for patient selection in liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Hangzhou criteria have been shown in China to enable access to liver transplantation for more patients when compared to Milan criteria without negative effects on long-term survival. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Hangzhou criteria in a German cohort. METHODS One hundred fifty-nine patients transplanted for HCC between 1975 and 2010 were investigated. Patients were categorized into four groups depending on the fulfillment of Milan and Hangzhou criteria. General and tumor baseline characteristics were compared. Overall and tumor-free survival rates were investigated with the Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS One-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year survival rates for patients fulfilling Milan criteria (n = 68) were 89.7, 83.7, 75.8, and 62.1%, respectively, versus 89.8, 82.2, 75.2, and 62.6% for patients fulfilling Hangzhou criteria (n = 109) (p = 0.833). When comparing patients exceeding Milan or Hangzhou criteria, survival rates were 75.3, 53.2, 48.1, and 41.1% versus 63.3, 31.4, 26.9, and 22.1%, respectively (p = 0.019). The comparison of tumor-free survival rates in patients fulfilling Milan or Hangzhou criteria was statistically not significant (p = 0.785), whereas the comparison of the groups exceeding the criteria showed significantly worse survival for patients outside Hangzhou criteria (p = 0.007). The proportion of patients fulfilling Hangzhou criteria (68.6%) was significantly larger as compared to the proportion fulfilling Milan criteria (42.8%) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Hangzhou criteria are more accurate in predicting long-term survival after liver transplantation for HCC in Germany. Deployment of the Hangzhou criteria for patient selection could enlarge the pool of transplantable patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Qu
- Institute for Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Health Systems Research, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,Core Facility Quality Management and Health Technology Assessment in Transplantation, Integrated Research and Treatment Facility Transplantation (IFB-Tx), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Qi Ling
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 79, Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jill Gwiasda
- Core Facility Quality Management and Health Technology Assessment in Transplantation, Integrated Research and Treatment Facility Transplantation (IFB-Tx), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Xiao Xu
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 79, Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China.
| | - Harald Schrem
- Core Facility Quality Management and Health Technology Assessment in Transplantation, Integrated Research and Treatment Facility Transplantation (IFB-Tx), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. .,General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
| | - Jan Beneke
- Core Facility Quality Management and Health Technology Assessment in Transplantation, Integrated Research and Treatment Facility Transplantation (IFB-Tx), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Alexander Kaltenborn
- Core Facility Quality Management and Health Technology Assessment in Transplantation, Integrated Research and Treatment Facility Transplantation (IFB-Tx), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Christian Krauth
- Institute for Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Health Systems Research, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,Core Facility Quality Management and Health Technology Assessment in Transplantation, Integrated Research and Treatment Facility Transplantation (IFB-Tx), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Heiko Mix
- Core Facility Quality Management and Health Technology Assessment in Transplantation, Integrated Research and Treatment Facility Transplantation (IFB-Tx), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jürgen Klempnauer
- General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Nikos Emmanouilidis
- General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
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22
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Cho CW, Choi GS, Kim JM, Kwon CHD, Kim DJ, Joh JW. Clinical usefulness of transarterial chemoembolization response prior to liver transplantation as predictor of optimal timing for living donor liver transplantation. Ann Surg Treat Res 2018; 95:111-120. [PMID: 30079328 PMCID: PMC6073044 DOI: 10.4174/astr.2018.95.2.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Response to preoperative transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) has been recommended as a biological selection criterion for liver transplantation (LT). The aim of our study was to identify optimal timing of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) after TACE based on the TACE response. Methods We performed a retrospective study to assess recurrence in 128 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients who underwent LDLT following sequential TACE from January 2002 to March 2015 at a single institute. Cox proportional hazard models and Kaplan-Meier analysis were utilized to estimate HCC recurrence and find optimal timing for LDLT. Results Seventy-three and 61 patients were divided as the responder and nonresponder, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed independent pre-liver transplantation (pre-LT) predictors of recurrence were larger sized tumor (>3 cm, P = 0.024), nonresponse to TACE (P = 0.031), vascular invasion (P = 0.002), and extrahepatic nodal involvement (P = 0.001). In the 3-month time difference between last pre-LT TACE and LDLT subgroup, TACE responders showed significantly higher adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of recurrence free survival (aHR, 6.284; P = 0.007), cancer specific survival (aHR, 7.033; P = 0.016), and overall survival (aHR, 7.055; P = 0.005). Moreover, for overall patients and responder groups, the significant time difference between last pre-LT TACE and LDLT was 2 months in the minimum P-value approach. Conclusion In selected patients who showed good response to pre-LT TACE, a shorter time interval between TACE and LDLT may be associated with higher recurrence free survival, cancer specific survival, and overall survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chan Woo Cho
- Department of Surgery, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea
| | - Gyu-Seong Choi
- Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jong Man Kim
- Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Choon Hyuck David Kwon
- Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Doo Jin Kim
- Department of Surgery, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea
| | - Jae-Won Joh
- Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Llovet JM, Mazzaferro V, Piscaglia F, Raoul JL, Schirmacher P, Vilgrain V. EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines: Management of hepatocellular carcinoma. J Hepatol 2018; 69:182-236. [PMID: 29628281 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2018.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5201] [Impact Index Per Article: 866.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Takada Y, Kaido T, Shirabe K, Nagano H, Egawa H, Sugawara Y, Taketomi A, Takahara T, Wakabayashi G, Nakanishi C, Kawagishi N, Kenjo A, Gotoh M, Toyoki Y, Hakamada K, Ohtsuka M, Akamatsu N, Kokudo N, Takeda K, Endo I, Takamura H, Okajima H, Wada H, Kubo S, Kuramitsu K, Ku Y, Ishiyama K, Ohdan H, Ito E, Maehara Y, Honda M, Inomata Y, Furukawa H, Uemoto S, Yamaue H, Miyazaki M, Takada T. Significance of preoperative fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography in prediction of tumor recurrence after liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma patients: a Japanese multicenter study. JOURNAL OF HEPATO-BILIARY-PANCREATIC SCIENCES 2017; 24:49-57. [PMID: 27806426 DOI: 10.1002/jhbp.412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the present study, we conducted a multicenter nationwide survey to investigate the effects of preoperative fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) on the prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence after liver transplantation (LT). METHODS From 16 Japanese LT centers, data were collected on 182 recipients with HCC who underwent living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) between February 2005 and November 2013. PET-positive status was defined as increased uptake of FDG in the tumor compared to the surrounding non-tumor liver tissue. The median follow-up after LDLT was 54.5 months (range 1-125 months). RESULTS Postoperative HCC recurrence occurred in 23 patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that exceeding the Milan criteria (MC), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level ≥115 ng/ml, and PET-positive status were significant and independent risk factors for recurrence. In the over-MC group, a subgroup of patients with AFP level <115 ng/ml and PET-negative status (n = 22) had a significantly lower 5-year recurrence rate than the other patients (n = 27, 19% vs. 53%, P = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that preoperative FDG-PET status offers additional information on HCC recurrence risk after LT. Over-MC patients with PET-negative status and lower AFP level may achieve successful outcome comparable to that of within-MC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasutsugu Takada
- Department of HBP and Breast Surgery, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan
| | - Toshimi Kaido
- Division of HBP Surgery and Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ken Shirabe
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Gunma University, Gunma, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Nagano
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Hiroto Egawa
- Department of Surgery, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuhiko Sugawara
- Department of Transplantation and Pediatric Surgery, Postgraduate School of Life Science, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Akinobu Taketomi
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery I, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Takeshi Takahara
- Department of Surgery, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Iwate, Japan
| | - Go Wakabayashi
- Center for Advanced Treatment of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases, Surgical Services, Ageo Central General Hospital, Saitama, Japan
| | - Chikashi Nakanishi
- Department of Transplantation, Reconstruction and Endoscopic Surgery, Tohoku University Hospital, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Naoki Kawagishi
- Department of Transplantation, Reconstruction and Endoscopic Surgery, Tohoku University Hospital, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Akira Kenjo
- Department of Regenerative Surgery, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Mitsukazu Gotoh
- Department of Regenerative Surgery, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Yoshikazu Toyoki
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Aomori, Japan
| | - Kenichi Hakamada
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Aomori, Japan
| | - Masayuki Ohtsuka
- Department of General Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Nobuhisa Akamatsu
- Artificial Organ and Transplantation Surgery Division, Department of Surgery, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Norihiro Kokudo
- Artificial Organ and Transplantation Surgery Division, Department of Surgery, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuhisa Takeda
- National Hospital Organization Yokohama Medical Center, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Itaru Endo
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Takamura
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Hideaki Okajima
- Division of HBP Surgery and Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Wada
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shoji Kubo
- Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kaoru Kuramitsu
- Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Kobe University Hospital, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Yonson Ku
- Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Kobe University Hospital, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Kohei Ishiyama
- Department of Gastroenterological and Transplant Surgery, Applied Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hideki Ohdan
- Department of Gastroenterological and Transplant Surgery, Applied Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Eitaro Ito
- Department of HBP and Breast Surgery, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Maehara
- Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Masaki Honda
- Department of Transplantation and Pediatric Surgery, Postgraduate School of Life Science, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Yukihiro Inomata
- Department of Transplantation and Pediatric Surgery, Postgraduate School of Life Science, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Furukawa
- Division of Gastroenterologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Shinji Uemoto
- Division of HBP Surgery and Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hiroki Yamaue
- Second Department of Surgery, Wakayama Medical University School of Medicine, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Masaru Miyazaki
- International University of Health and Welfare, Mita Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tadahiro Takada
- Japanese Society of Hepato-biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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Park MS, Lee KW, Kim H, Choi Y, Hong G, Yi NJ, Suh KS. Primary Living-donor Liver Transplantation Is Not the Optimal Treatment Choice in Patients With Early Hepatocellular Carcinoma With Poor Tumor Biology. Transplant Proc 2017; 49:1103-1108. [DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2017.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Nicolini D, Agostini A, Montalti R, Mocchegiani F, Mincarelli C, Mandolesi A, Robertson NL, Candelari R, Giovagnoni A, Vivarelli M. Radiological response and inflammation scores predict tumour recurrence in patients treated with transarterial chemoembolization before liver transplantation. World J Gastroenterol 2017; 23:3690-3701. [PMID: 28611522 PMCID: PMC5449426 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v23.i20.3690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Revised: 03/07/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM To investigate the prognostic value of the radiological response after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and inflammatory markers in patients affected by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) awaiting liver transplantation (LT).
METHODS We retrospectively evaluated the preoperative predictors of HCC recurrence in 70 patients treated with conventional (n = 16) or doxorubicin-eluting bead TACE (n = 54) before LT. The patient and tumour characteristics, including the static and dynamic alpha-fetoprotein, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) measurements, were recorded. Treatment response was classified according to the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours (mRECIST) and the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) criteria as complete response (CR), partial response (PR), stable disease or progressive disease. After examination of the explanted livers, histological necrosis was classified as complete (100% of the cumulative tumour area), partial (50%-99%) or minimal (< 50%) and was correlated with the preoperative radiological findings.
RESULTS According to the pre-TACE radiological evaluation, 22/70 (31.4%) and 12/70 (17.1%) patients were beyond Milan and University of San Francisco (UCSF) criteria, respectively. After TACE procedures, the objective response (CR + PR) rates were 71.4% and 70.0% according to mRECIST and EASL criteria, respectively. The agreement between the two guidelines in defining the radiological response was rated as very good both for the overall and target lesion response (weighted k-value: 0.98 and 0.93, respectively). Complete and partial histological necrosis were achieved in 14/70 (20.0%) and 28/70 (40.0%) patients, respectively. Using histopathology as the reference standard, mRECIST criteria correctly classified necrosis in 72.9% (51/70) of patients and EASL criteria in 68.6% (48/70) of cases. The mRECIST non-response to TACE [Exp(b) = 9.2, p = 0.012], exceeding UCSF criteria before TACE [Exp(b) = 4.7, p = 0.033] and a preoperative PLR > 150 [Exp(b) = 5.9, p = 0.046] were independent predictors of tumour recurrence.
CONCLUSION The radiological response and inflammatory markers are predictive of tumour recurrence and allow the proper selection of TACE-treated candidates for LT.
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Lee KW, Suh SW, Choi Y, Jeong J, Yi NJ, Kim H, Yoon KC, Hong SK, Kim HS, Lee KB, Suh KS. Macrovascular invasion is not an absolute contraindication for living donor liver transplantation. Liver Transpl 2017; 23:19-27. [PMID: 27540701 DOI: 10.1002/lt.24610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2016] [Accepted: 08/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The indication of liver transplantation (LT) for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is expanding. However, portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) has been still accepted as an absolute contraindication. We experienced an unexpectedly good prognosis in selected patients. Therefore, we tried to identify the prognostic factors after LT for HCC with major PVTT. Among 282 patients who underwent living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for HCC from January 2009 to December 2013, 11 (3.9%) patients with major PVTT that was preoperatively diagnosed were investigated. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year recurrence-free survival rates were 63.6%, 45.5%, and 45.5%, respectively, and all recurrent cases showed intrahepatic and extrahepatic recurrence. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 72.7%, 63.6%, and 63.6%, respectively, and 2 patients with delayed recurrence survived approximately 5 years after LT. Main portal vein (PV) invasion (P < 0.01), high alpha-fetoprotein × protein induced by vitamin K absence/antagonist-II (AP) score (≥20,000; P < 0.01), high standardized uptake value (SUV) ratio (tumor/background liver) in positron emission tomography (≥2.1; P < 0.01), and a large original tumor (≥7 cm; P = 0.03) were significant risk factors for recurrence. In conclusion, if the PVTT has not expanded to the main PV and the AP score is not high, we can consider LDLT as a curative treatment option. Liver Transplantation 23:19-27 2017 AASLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwang-Woong Lee
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Suk-Won Suh
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - YoungRok Choi
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jaehong Jeong
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Nam-Joon Yi
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyeyoung Kim
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kyung Chul Yoon
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Suk Kyun Hong
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyo-Sin Kim
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kyung-Bun Lee
- Department of Pathology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kyung-Suk Suh
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
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Development and Applicability of the A-P 200 Criteria for Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Transplant Proc 2016; 48:3317-3322. [DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2016.08.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Revised: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Hong SK, Lee KW, Kim HS, Yoon KC, Yi NJ, Suh KS. Living donor liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma in Seoul National University. Hepatobiliary Surg Nutr 2016; 5:453-460. [PMID: 28123999 DOI: 10.21037/hbsn.2016.08.07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Liver transplantation is an effective treatment modality for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Due to deceased organ shortage, living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) accounts for the majority of liver transplants in Korea. The aim of this study is to evaluate the recent trend of LDLT for HCC, and to suggest guidelines and criteria for selecting the appropriate candidates for LDLT. METHODS Between January 2000 and December 2015, 532 patients underwent LDLT for HCC. Clinicopathologic data were analyzed as well as overall survival rate (SR) and disease-free survival rate (DFSR) according to the Milan criteria based on explant pathology, positron emission tomography (PET) positivity, and serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level. RESULTS The 5-year overall SR and DFSR were 81.5% and 75.5% respectively. According to our previously reported combination of AFP and PET [Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) criteria]; low risk group [AFP <200 ng/mL, PET (-)], intermediate risk group [AFP >200 ng/mL, PET (-) or AFP <200 ng/mL, PET (+)], and high risk group [AFP >200 ng/mL, PET (+)], the 5-year DFSR of low risk group was 86.1%, intermediate risk group was 79.0%, and high risk group was 18.5% (P<0.001). Within the Milan criteria, the 5-year DFSR of low risk group was 88.4%, intermediate risk group was 79.9%, and high risk group was 60.0% (P=0.016). Beyond the Milan criteria, the 5-year DFSR of low, intermediate, and high risk group was 80.3%, 77.7%, and 9.1%, respectively (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, our data and experience suggest that a continued paradigm shift from a conventional size based criteria to a biological marker based criteria is indicated when evaluating LDLT candidates with HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suk Kyun Hong
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 110-744, Korea
| | - Kwang-Woong Lee
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 110-744, Korea
| | - Hyo-Sin Kim
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 110-744, Korea
| | - Kyung Chul Yoon
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 110-744, Korea
| | - Nam-Joon Yi
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 110-744, Korea
| | - Kyung-Suk Suh
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 110-744, Korea
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Lee HW, Suh KS. Liver transplantation for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Clin Mol Hepatol 2016; 22:309-318. [PMID: 27729631 PMCID: PMC5066382 DOI: 10.3350/cmh.2016.0042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
There has been ongoing debate that the Milan criteria may be too strict that a significant number of patients who could benefit from liver transplantation (LT) might have been excluded. Based on this idea, various studies have been conducted to further expand the Milan criteria and give more HCC patients a chance of cure. In deceased donor LT (DDLT) setting, expansion of the criteria is relatively tempered because the results of LT for HCC should be comparable to those of patients with non-malignant indications. On the other hand, in living donor LT (LDLT) situation, liver grafts are not public resources. The acceptable target outcomes for LDLT might be much lower than those for DDLT. Patients with biologically favorable tumors might have excellent survivals after LT despite morphological advanced HCCs. Therefore, the significance and utility of biological tumor parameters for selecting suitable LT candidates have been increased to predict HCC recurrence after LT. Although there is no consensus regarding the use of prognostic biomarkers in LT selection criteria for HCC, the combination of conventional morphological parameters and new promising biomarkers could help us refine and expand the LT criteria for HCC in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hae Won Lee
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kyung-Suk Suh
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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31
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Expansion of the criteria for living donor liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma. Curr Opin Organ Transplant 2016; 21:231-7. [PMID: 26918880 DOI: 10.1097/mot.0000000000000294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Several expanded criteria for liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been suggested out of concern that the Milan criteria may be too strict, and thereby exclude patients who could benefit from this surgical procedure. However, most expanded criteria were designed for deceased donor liver transplantation. Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) differs from that of deceased donor liver transplantation primarily because LDLT liver grafts are not public resources. RECENT FINDINGS In Asian countries, where HCC is endemic, LDLT is the main currently available treatment option for HCC. High-volume LDLT centers throughout Asia have adopted their own expanded selection criteria for LDLT for HCC with acceptable long-term results. Some centers utilize tumor markers as one of the criterion to help select suitable candidates. Indeed, such adjunctive biomarkers may have prognostic relevance for patients with HCC. The use of both biological and histomorphologic parameters may increase the number of transplantable patients. SUMMARY The overall chance of survival, and recipient/donor preferences as well as the risk of recurrence are considered in the LDLT setting. Therefore, the selection criteria for liver transplantation for HCC could benefit from expansion for LDLT.
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Serum Tumor Markers Provide Refined Prognostication in Selecting Liver Transplantation Candidate for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Beyond the Milan Criteria. Ann Surg 2016; 263:842-50. [PMID: 26779979 DOI: 10.1097/sla.0000000000001578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To develop and validate a model to predict tumor recurrence after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) (MoRAL) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) beyond the Milan criteria (MC). BACKGROUND Some subgroups of HCC exceeding the MC experience substantial benefit from LDLT. METHODS This multicenter study included a total of 566 consecutive patients who underwent LDLT in Korea: the beyond-MC cohort (n = 205, the derivation [n = 92] and validation [n = 113] sets) and the within-MC cohort (n = 361). The primary endpoint was time-to-recurrence. RESULTS Using multivariate Cox proportional hazard model, we derived the MoRAL score using serum levels of protein induced by vitamin K absence-II and alpha-fetoprotein, which provided a good discriminant function on time-to-recurrence (concordance index = 0.88). Concordance index was maintained similarly on both internal and external validations (mean 0.87 and 0.84, respectively). At cut off of 314.8 (75th percentile value), a low MoRAL score (≤314.8) was associated with significantly longer recurrence-free (versus > 314.8, HR = 5.29, P < 0.001) and overall survivals (HR = 2.59, P = 0.001) in the beyond-MC cohort. The 5-year recurrence-free and overall survival rates of beyond-MC patients with a low MoRAL score were as high as 66.3% and 82.6%, respectively. The within-MC patients with a high MoRAL score showed a higher risk of recurrence than beyond-MC patients with a low MoRAL score (HR = 2.56, P = 0.035). The MoRAL score was significantly correlated with explant histology. CONCLUSIONS This new model using protein induced by vitamin K absence-II and alpha-fetoprotein provides refined prognostication. Among beyond-MC HCC patients, those with a MoRAL score ≤314.8 and without extrahepatic metastasis might be potential candidates for LDLT.
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Grąt M, Wronka KM, Stypułkowski J, Bik E, Krasnodębski M, Masior Ł, Lewandowski Z, Grąt K, Patkowski W, Krawczyk M. The Warsaw Proposal for the Use of Extended Selection Criteria in Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Cancer. Ann Surg Oncol 2016; 24:526-534. [PMID: 27531306 PMCID: PMC5215188 DOI: 10.1245/s10434-016-5500-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Combination of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the up-to-7 criteria with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) cutoff of 100 ng/ml was proposed as the Warsaw expansion of the Milan criteria in selection of hepatocellular cancer (HCC) patients for liver transplantation. The purpose of this retrospective study was to validate this proposal. METHODS A total of 240 HCC patients after liver transplantation were included. Recurrence-free survival and overall survival at 5 years were set as the primary and secondary outcome measures, respectively. RESULTS The Warsaw expansion increased transplant eligibility rate by 20.3 %. AFP >100 ng/ml significantly increased the recurrence risk in patients within the Milan criteria (p = 0.025) and in those beyond, yet within either the UCSF or the up-to-7 criteria (p < 0.001). Recurrence-free survival at 5 years was 90.8 % for patients within the Milan criteria, 100.0 % in patients within the Warsaw expansion, 54.9 % in patients beyond the Warsaw expansion but within either the UCSF or the up-to-7 criteria, and 45.1 % in patients beyond both the UCSF and the up-to-7 criteria (p < 0.001). The corresponding overall survival rates were 71.6, 82.4, 64.3, and 55.3 %, respectively (p = 0.027). CONCLUSIONS The Warsaw expansion of the Milan criteria substantially increases the recipient pool without compromising outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Grąt
- Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Karolina M Wronka
- Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jan Stypułkowski
- Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Emil Bik
- Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maciej Krasnodębski
- Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Łukasz Masior
- Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Karolina Grąt
- Second Department of Clinical Radiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Waldemar Patkowski
- Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marek Krawczyk
- Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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Krasnodębski M, Grąt M, Masior Ł, Wronka KM, Grąt K, Stypułkowski J, Bik E, Patkowski W, Krawczyk M. Outcomes of Patients With Poorly Differentiated Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Liver Transplantation. Transplant Proc 2016; 48:1713-6. [PMID: 27496477 DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2016.01.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Liver transplantation (LT) outcomes for patients with poorly differentiated (G3) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are unsatisfactory. The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes in patients with poorly differentiated HCC undergoing LT. PATIENTS AND METHODS There were 192 HCC patients after LT in the Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, between January 2001 and April 2014. The study group comprised 24 patients with poorly differentiated tumors. RESULTS Disease-free survival (DFS) for all patients was 49.5% at 5 years. The 5-year DFS for patients who met the Milan criteria (n = 9, 88.9%) was significantly better compared to those who did not (n = 15, 28.0%, P = .025). Multivariable analysis revealed that only the largest tumor diameter (P = .014) and α-fetoprotein (AFP) concentration (P = .001) were independent risk factors for DFS. The optimal cut-off AFP and tumor size that could distinguish patients with the highest risk were ≥500 ng/mL and ≥3.5 cm, respectively. DFS for patients with AFP <500 ng/mL and tumor size <3.5 cm was 100% after 2.8 years, and for those with ≥500 ng/mL or tumor size ≥3.5 cm was 46.9% after 5 years. However, the DFS for patients with AFP ≥500 ng/mL and tumor size ≥3.5 cm was only 12.5% after 4.7 years (P = .002). CONCLUSIONS Outcomes of patients with poorly differentiated HCC treated with LT can be characterized with acceptable survival when applying criteria based on tumor size <3.5 cm and AFP <500 ng/mL.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Krasnodębski
- Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - M Grąt
- Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ł Masior
- Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - K M Wronka
- Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - K Grąt
- Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - J Stypułkowski
- Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - E Bik
- Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - W Patkowski
- Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - M Krawczyk
- Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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Charrière B, Maulat C, Suc B, Muscari F. Contribution of alpha-fetoprotein in liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Hepatol 2016; 8:881-890. [PMID: 27478538 PMCID: PMC4958698 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v8.i21.881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2016] [Revised: 05/30/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is the main tumor biomarker available for the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although it is neither a good screening test nor an accurate diagnostic tool for HCC, it seems to be a possible prognostic marker. However, its contribution in liver transplantation for HCC has not been fully determined, although its use to predict recurrence after liver transplantation has been underlined by international societies. In an era of organ shortages, it could also have a key role in the selection of patients eligible for liver transplantation. Yet unanswered questions remain. First, the cut-off value of serum AFP above which liver transplantation should not be performed is still a subject of debate. We show that a concentration of 1000 ng/mL could be an exclusion criterion, whereas values of < 15 ng/mL indicate patients with an excellent prognosis whatever the size and number of tumors. Monitoring the dynamics of AFP could also prove useful. However, evidence is lacking regarding the values that should be used. Today, the real input of AFP seems to be its integration into new criteria to select patients eligible for a liver transplantation. These recent tools have associated AFP values with morphological criteria, thus refining pre-existing criteria, such as Milan, University of California, San Francisco, or “up-to-seven”. We provide a review of the different criteria submitted within the past years. Finally, AFP can be used to monitor recurrence after transplantation, although there is little evidence to support this claim. Future challenges will be to draft new international guidelines to implement the use of AFP as a selection tool, and to determine a clear cut-off value above which liver transplantation should not be performed.
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Yoo T, Lee KW, Yi NJ, Choi YR, Kim H, Suh SW, Jeong JH, Lee JM, Suh KS. Peri-Transplant Change in AFP Level: a Useful Predictor of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recurrence Following Liver Transplantation. J Korean Med Sci 2016; 31:1049-54. [PMID: 27366001 PMCID: PMC4900995 DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2016.31.7.1049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 03/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Pretransplant alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a useful tumor marker predicting recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Little is known, however, about the relationship between changes in AFP concentration and prognosis. This study investigated the clinical significance of change in peri-transplant AFP level as a predictor of HCC recurrence. Data from 125 HCC patients with elevated pretransplant AFP level who underwent liver transplantation (LT) between February 2000 and December 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with AFP normalization within 1 month after LT were classified into the rapid normalization group (n = 97), with all other patients classified into the non-rapid normalization group (n = 28). Tumor recurrence was observed in 17 of the 97 patients (17.5%) with rapid normalization; of these, 11 patients had high AFP levels and six had normal levels at recurrence. In contrast, tumor recurrence was observed in 24 of the 28 patients (85.7%) without rapid normalization, with all 24 having high AFP levels at recurrence. Multivariate analysis showed that non-rapid normalization (harzard ratio [HR], 4.41, P < 0.001), sex (HR, 3.26, P = 0.03), tumor size (HR, 1.15, P = 0.001), and microvascular invasion (HR, 2.65, P = 0.005) were independent risk factors for recurrence. In conclusion, rapid normalization of post-LT AFP level at 1 month is a useful clinical marker for HCC recurrence. Therefore, an adjuvant strategy and/or intensive screening are needed for patients who do not show rapid normalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae Yoo
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.; Department of Surgery, Hallym University College of Medicine, Hwaseong, Korea
| | - Kwang-Woong Lee
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Nam-Joon Yi
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Young Rok Choi
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyeyoung Kim
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Suk-Won Suh
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jae Hong Jeong
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jeong-Moo Lee
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kyung-Suk Suh
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Ogawa K, Takada Y. Living vs. deceased-donor liver transplantation for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Transl Gastroenterol Hepatol 2016; 1:35. [PMID: 28138602 DOI: 10.21037/tgh.2016.04.03] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 04/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
With the scarcity of deceased donor liver grafts, living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is gaining popularity as an alternative to deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, as the evidence of cases of LDLT accumulates, several authors have reported higher HCC recurrence rates after LDLT. The suggested reasons for the higher recurrence rates following LDLT are related to the small-for-size graft in LDLT, surgical procedures that are specific to LDLT, and the fast-track to LDLT. Fast-tracking to LDLT may not allow sufficient time for evaluation of the biological aggressiveness of tumors, which may result in high recurrence rates due to inclusion of patients with more inherently aggressive tumors. Actually, some studies that reported higher recurrence rates with LDLT included a larger number of cases of HCC with microvascular invasion or poorly differentiated HCC. In order to exclude biologically aggressive HCC preoperatively, selection criteria incorporating tumor markers, such as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin (DCP), as well as morphological tumor number and size have been proposed. With more reliable selection criteria incorporating biological markers to eliminate biologically aggressive HCC, LDLT can be a viable treatment option for patients with HCC, providing similar recurrence rates as those achieved with DDLT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohei Ogawa
- Department of HBP and Breast Surgery, Ehime University, Ehime, Japan
| | - Yasutsugu Takada
- Department of HBP and Breast Surgery, Ehime University, Ehime, Japan
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Liver transplantation for hepatobiliary malignancies: a new era of "Transplant Oncology" has begun. Surg Today 2016; 47:403-415. [PMID: 27130463 DOI: 10.1007/s00595-016-1337-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The indications of liver transplantation for hepatobiliary malignancies have been carefully expanded in a stepwise fashion, despite the fundamental limitations in oncological, immunological, and technical aspects. A new era of "Transplant Oncology," the fusion of transplant surgery and surgical oncology, has begun, and we stand at the dawn of a paradigm shift in multidisciplinary cancer treatment. For hepatocellular carcinoma, new strategies have been undertaken to select recipients based on biological and dynamic markers instead of conventional morphological and static parameters, opening the doors for a more deliberate expansion of the Milan criteria and locoregional therapies before liver transplantation. Neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy followed by liver transplantation for unresectable perihilar cholangiocarcinoma developed by the Mayo Clinic provided excellent outcomes in a US multicenter study; however, the surgical indications are not necessarily universal and await international validation. Similarly, an aggressive multidisciplinary approach has been applied for other tumors, including intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, hepatoblastoma, liver metastases from colorectal and neuroendocrine primary and gastrointestinal stromal tumors as well as rare tumors, such as hepatic undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma and infantile choriocarcinoma. In conclusion, liver transplantation is an important option for hepatobiliary malignancies; however, prospective studies are urgently needed to ensure the appropriate patient selection, organ allocation and living donation policies, and administration of antineoplastic immunosuppression.
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Xu DW, Wan P, Xia Q. Liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma beyond the Milan criteria: A review. World J Gastroenterol 2016; 22:3325-34. [PMID: 27022214 PMCID: PMC4806190 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i12.3325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2015] [Revised: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 01/30/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver transplantation (LT) has been accepted as an effective therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The Milan criteria (MC) are widely used across the world to select LT candidates in HCC patients. However, the MC may be too strict because a substantial subset of patients who have HCC exceed the MC and who would benefit from LT may be unnecessarily excluded from the waiting list. In recent years, many extended criteria beyond the MC were raised, which were proved to be able to yield similar outcomes compared with those patients meeting the MC. Because the simple use of tumor size and number was insufficient to indicate HCC biological features and to predict the risk of tumor recurrence, some biological markers such as Alpha-fetoprotein, Des-Gamma-carboxy prothrombin and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio were useful in selecting LT candidates in HCC patients beyond the MC. For patients with advanced HCC, downstaging therapy is an effective way to reduce the tumor stage to fulfill the MC by using liver-directed therapy such as transarterial chemoembolization, radiofrequency ablation and percutaneous ethanol injection. This article reviews the recent advances in LT for HCC beyond the MC.
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40
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Zakaria HM, Shoreem HA, Aziz AA, Abou El-Ella KA, Ibrahim TM. Pattern of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence following living donor liver transplantation. SURGICAL PRACTICE 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1744-1633.12156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hazem M. Zakaria
- Department of Hepatopancreaticobiliary and Liver Transplantation Surgery; National Liver Institute; Menoufia University; Menoufia Egypt
| | - Hany A. Shoreem
- Department of Hepatopancreaticobiliary and Liver Transplantation Surgery; National Liver Institute; Menoufia University; Menoufia Egypt
| | - Amr A. Aziz
- Department of Hepatopancreaticobiliary and Liver Transplantation Surgery; National Liver Institute; Menoufia University; Menoufia Egypt
| | - Khaled A. Abou El-Ella
- Department of Hepatopancreaticobiliary and Liver Transplantation Surgery; National Liver Institute; Menoufia University; Menoufia Egypt
| | - Tarek M. Ibrahim
- Department of Hepatopancreaticobiliary and Liver Transplantation Surgery; National Liver Institute; Menoufia University; Menoufia Egypt
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Soriano A, Varona A, Gianchandani R, Moneva ME, Arranz J, Gonzalez A, Barrera M. Selection of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma for liver transplantation: Past and future. World J Hepatol 2016; 8:58-68. [PMID: 26783421 PMCID: PMC4705453 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v8.i1.58] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Revised: 11/18/2015] [Accepted: 12/11/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is to ensure a rate of disease-free survival similar to that of patients transplanted due to benign disease. Therefore, we are forced to adopt strict criteria when selecting candidates for LT and prioritizing patients on the waiting list (WL), to have clarified indications for bridging therapy for groups at risk for progression or recurrence, and to establish certain limits for downstaging therapies. Although the Milan criteria (MC) remain the standard and most employed criteria for indication of HCC patients for LT by far, in the coming years, criteria will be consolidated that take into account not only data regarding the size/volume and number of tumors but also their biology. This criteria will mainly include the alpha fetoprotein (AFP) values and, in view of their wide variability, any of the published logarithmic models for the selection of candidates for LT. Bridging therapy is necessary for HCC patients on the WL who meet the MC and have the possibility of experiencing a delay for LT greater than 6 mo or any of the known risk factors for recurrence. It is difficult to define single AFP values that would indicate bridging therapy (200, 300 or 400 ng/mL); therefore, it is preferable to rely on the criteria of a French AFP model score > 2. Other single indications for bridging therapy include a tumor diameter greater than 3 cm, more than one tumor, and having an AFP slope greater than 15 ng/mL per month or > 50 ng/mL for three months during strict monitoring while on the WL. When considering the inclusion of patients on the WL who do not meet the MC, it is mandatory to determine their eligibility for downstaging therapy prior to inclusion. The upper limit for this therapy could be one lesion up to 8 cm, 2-3 lesions with a total tumor diameter up to 8 cm, or a total tumor volume of 115 cm3. Lastly, liver allocation and the prioritization of patients with HCC on the WL should take into account the recently described HCC model for end-stage liver disease, which considers hepatic function, HCC size and the number and the log of AFP values. This formula has been calibrated with the survival data of non-HCC patients and produces a dynamic and more accurate assessment model.
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42
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Varona MA, Soriano A, Aguirre-Jaime A, Garrido S, Oton E, Diaz D, Portero J, Bravo P, Barrera MA, Perera A. Risk factors of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after liver transplantation: accuracy of the alpha-fetoprotein model in a single-center experience. Transplant Proc 2015; 47:84-9. [PMID: 25645778 DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2014.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cirrhosis after a liver transplantation (LT) is a major concern, and a strict Milan criteria selection of candidates does not accurately discriminate the relapse rate after LT. PURPOSE This study sought to analyze the risk factors affecting tumor recurrence after LT for related cirrhosis HCC and the application of the French prognostic model (preLT alpha-fetoprotein [AFP], size, number) in a single center. METHODS In a retrospective observational study of LT for HCC and cirrhosis, clinicopathological features were analyzed. Also, the preoperative and postoperative AFP model score was calculated with a cutoff of 2. RESULTS Of 480, 109 patients underwent cadaveric LT for HCC. Eight of them had a relapse (7%). High AFP level, AFP model score >2, high pathological tumor-node-metastasis (pTNM) stage, poor differentiation, macrovascular-microvascular invasion, infiltration, and R1 margin were statistically significant (P < .05) for recurrence. Also, in the preoperative model, AFP score >2 was a predictor of worse survival (1-, 3-, 5-, 10-year survival of 81%, 51%, 30%, 30% vs 90%, 76%, 73%, 69% in ≤2, with P = .005). Regarding the postoperative model, similar results were found (1-, 3-, 5-, 10-year survival of 84%, 47%, 37%, 37% vs 90%, 78%, 73%, 52%, P = .028) between AFP model score >2 and ≤2, respectively. However, Milan and up-to-7 criteria were not accurate in recurrence nor in survival. CONCLUSIONS The French AFP model has proven to be a more discerning prognostic tool than other established criteria in the prediction of recurrence and survival. Also, in postoperative prognosis, pathological risk factors for relapse such as pTNM, differentiation grade, macrovascular-microvascular invasion, infiltration, and R1 margin have been predictors of recurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Varona
- Department of Surgery, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Sra. De Candelaria, S/C de Tenerife, Spain.
| | - A Soriano
- Department of Surgery, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Sra. De Candelaria, S/C de Tenerife, Spain
| | - A Aguirre-Jaime
- Investigation Unit, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Sra. De Candelaria, S/C de Tenerife, Spain
| | - S Garrido
- Department of Radiology/Hospital Universitario Nuestra Sra. De Candelaria, S/C de Tenerife, Spain
| | - E Oton
- Department of Hepatology/Hospital Universitario Nuestra Sra. De Candelaria, S/C de Tenerife, Spain
| | - D Diaz
- Department of Hepatology/Hospital Universitario Nuestra Sra. De Candelaria, S/C de Tenerife, Spain
| | - J Portero
- Department of Vascular Radiology, Crta. El Rosario, no. 145, 38010, S/C de Tenerife, Spain
| | - P Bravo
- Department of Anesthesiology/Hospital Universitario Nuestra Sra. De Candelaria, S/C de Tenerife, Spain
| | - M A Barrera
- Department of Surgery, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Sra. De Candelaria, S/C de Tenerife, Spain
| | - A Perera
- Department of Pathology/Hospital Universitario Nuestra Sra. De Candelaria, S/C de Tenerife, Spain
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Andreou A, Bahra M, Guel S, Struecker B, Sauer IM, Klein F, Pascher A, Pratschke J, Seehofer D. Tumor DNA Index and α-Fetoprotein Level Define Outcome following Liver Transplantation for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Eur Surg Res 2015; 55:302-318. [PMID: 26440793 DOI: 10.1159/000439565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2015] [Accepted: 08/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) beyond the Milan criteria are expected to have inferior outcome after liver transplantation (LT) and are therefore currently not considered for LT in many countries. The purpose of this study was to identify predictive factors for overall survival following LT for HCC that may support the Milan criteria in the selection of appropriate transplant candidates. METHODS Clinicopathological data on 364 patients with HCC who underwent LT between 1989 and 2010 were retrospectively evaluated. Predictors of overall survival in the entire cohort as well as in subsets of patients within (n = 214) and beyond (n = 150) the Milan criteria were analyzed. RESULTS Multivariate analysis in the entire cohort identified DNA index >1.5 (p < 0.0001), α-fetoprotein level (AFP) >200 ng/ml (p = 0.005), and HCC beyond the Milan criteria (p = 0.002) to be associated with worse overall survival. In patients within the Milan criteria (median survival: 170 months), DNA index >1.5 (p < 0.0001) was the only predictor of worse overall survival in multivariate analysis. In patients beyond the Milan criteria (median survival: 44 months), DNA index >1.5, AFP >200 ng/ml, microvascular invasion, patient age >60 years, and DNA index >1.5 concomitant with AFP >200 ng/ml were associated with worse overall survival in univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis identified DNA index >1.5 concomitant with AFP >200 ng/ml (p < 0.0001) as the only independent predictor of worse overall survival. Consequently, patients beyond the Milan criteria with a combined favorable DNA index ≤1.5 and AFP ≤200 ng/ml had a median survival (147 months) comparable to that of patients within the Milan criteria. CONCLUSIONS DNA index and AFP level predict overall survival following LT in patients with advanced HCC beyond the Milan criteria. A combined assessment of these markers during the evaluation of transplant candidates can contribute to the selection of patients with HCC who may benefit from LT independently of their tumor burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Andreou
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Charitx00E9; - Universitx00E4;tsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin, Germany
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Comparison of Different Scoring Systems Based on Both Donor and Recipient Characteristics for Predicting Outcome after Living Donor Liver Transplantation. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0136604. [PMID: 26378786 PMCID: PMC4574737 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2015] [Accepted: 07/27/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES In order to provide a good match between donor and recipient in liver transplantation, four scoring systems [the product of donor age and Model for End-stage Liver Disease score (D-MELD), the score to predict survival outcomes following liver transplantation (SOFT), the balance of risk score (BAR), and the transplant risk index (TRI)] based on both donor and recipient parameters were designed. This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of the four scores in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) and compare them with the MELD score. PATIENTS AND METHODS The clinical data of 249 adult patients undergoing LDLT in our center were retrospectively evaluated. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of each score were calculated and compared at 1-, 3-, 6-month and 1-year after LDLT. RESULTS The BAR at 1-, 3-, 6-month and 1-year after LDLT and the D-MELD and TRI at 1-, 3- and 6-month after LDLT showed acceptable performances in the prediction of survival (AUC>0.6), while the SOFT showed poor discrimination at 6-month after LDLT (AUC = 0.569). In addition, the D-MELD and BAR displayed positive correlations with the length of ICU stay (D-MELD, p = 0.025; BAR, p = 0.022). The SOFT was correlated with the time of mechanical ventilation (p = 0.022). CONCLUSION The D-MELD, BAR and TRI provided acceptable performance in predicting survival after LDLT. However, even though these scoring systems were based on both donor and recipient parameters, only the BAR provided better performance than the MELD in predicting 1-year survival after LDLT.
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Tanaka T, Kurosaki M, Lilly LB, Izumi N, Sherman M. Identifying candidates with favorable prognosis following liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma: Data mining analysis. J Surg Oncol 2015; 112:72-9. [PMID: 26032085 DOI: 10.1002/jso.23944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Revised: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The optimal cutoff of each value in configuring selection criteria for pre-transplant assessment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains uncertain. METHODS To build a predictive model for recurrent HCC, we performed data mining analysis on patients who underwent LT for HCC at University Health Network (n = 246). The model was externally validated using a cohort from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) database (n = 9,769). RESULTS Among 246 patients, 14.6% (n = 36) experienced recurrent HCC within 2.5 years post-LT. The risk prediction model for recurrent HCC identified two subgroups with low-risk (total tumor diameter [TTD] <4 cm and serum alpha-fetoprotein [AFP] <73 ng/ml, n = 135) and with high-risk (TTD >4 cm and/or AFP >73 ng/ml, n = 111). The reproducibility of the model was validated through the SRTR database; overall patient survival rate was significantly better in low-risk group than high-risk group (P < 0.0001). Using Cox regression model, this yardstick, not Milan criteria, was revealed to efficiently predict post-transplant survival independent of underlying characteristics (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Grouping LT candidates with pre-LT HCC by the cutoffs of TTD 4 cm and AFP 73 ng/ml which were unearthed by data mining analysis efficiently classify patients according by the post-transplant prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Tanaka
- Multiorgan Transplant Program, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Division of Gastroenterology, University Health Netowrk, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Masayuki Kurosaki
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Musashino Red Cross Hospital, Musashino-shi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Leslie B Lilly
- Multiorgan Transplant Program, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Division of Gastroenterology, University Health Netowrk, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Namiki Izumi
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Musashino Red Cross Hospital, Musashino-shi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Morris Sherman
- Division of Gastroenterology, University Health Netowrk, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Wang LY, Zheng SS, Xu X, Wang WL, Wu J, Zhang M, Shen Y, Yan S, Xie HY, Chen XH, Jiang TA, Chen F. A score model for predicting post-liver transplantation survival in HBV cirrhosis-related hepatocellular carcinoma recipients: a single center 5-year experience. Hepatobiliary Pancreat Dis Int 2015; 14:43-9. [PMID: 25655289 DOI: 10.1016/s1499-3872(15)60335-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prognostic prediction of liver transplantation (LT) guides the donor organ allocation. However, there is currently no satisfactory model to predict the recipients' outcome, especially for the patients with HBV cirrhosis-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The present study was to develop a quantitative assessment model for predicting the post-LT survival in HBV-related HCC patients. METHODS Two hundred and thirty-eight LT recipients at the Liver Transplant Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine between 2008 and 2013 were included in this study. Their post-LT prognosis was recorded and multiple risk factors were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses in Cox regression. RESULTS The score model was as follows: 0.114X(Child-Pugh score)-0.002X(positive HBV DNA detection time)+0.647X(number of tumor nodules)+0.055X(max diameter of tumor nodules)+0.231XlnAFP+0.437X(tumor differentiation grade). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the area under the curve of the scoring model for predicting the post-LT survival was 0.887. The cut-off value was 1.27, which was associated with a sensitivity of 72.5% and a specificity of 90.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION The quantitative score model for predicting post-LT survival proved to be sensitive and specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Ying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation, Ministry of Health; Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.
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Andreou A, Gül S, Pascher A, Schöning W, Al-Abadi H, Bahra M, Klein F, Denecke T, Strücker B, Puhl G, Pratschke J, Seehofer D. Patient and tumour biology predict survival beyond the Milan criteria in liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma. HPB (Oxford) 2015; 17:168-75. [PMID: 25263399 PMCID: PMC4299391 DOI: 10.1111/hpb.12345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2014] [Accepted: 08/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) beyond the Milan criteria are not considered for liver transplantation (LT) in many centres; however, LT may be the only treatment able to achieve long-term survival in patients with unresectable HCC. The aim of this study was to assess the role of recipient age and tumour biology expressed by the DNA index in the selection of HCC patients for LT. PATIENTS Clinicopathological data of 364 patients with HCC who underwent LT between 1989 and 2010 were evaluated. Overall survival (OS) was analysed by patient age, tumour burden based on Milan criteria and the DNA index. RESULTS After a median follow-up time of 78 months, the median survival was 100 months. Factors associated with OS on univariate analysis included Milan criteria, patient age, hepatitis C infection, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, the DNA index, number of HCC, diameter of HCC, bilobar HCC, microvascular tumour invasion and tumour grading. On multivariate analysis, HCC beyond Milan criteria and the DNA index >1.5 independently predicted a worse OS. When stratifying patients by both age and Milan criteria, patients ≤ 60 years with HCC beyond Milan criteria had an OS comparable to that of patients >60 years within Milan criteria (10-year OS: 33% versus 37%, P = 0.08). Patients ≤ 60 years with HCC beyond Milan criteria but a favourable DNA index ≤ 1.5 achieved excellent long-term outcomes, comparable with those of patients within Milan criteria. CONCLUSIONS Patients ≤ 60 years may undergo LT for HCC with favourable outcomes independently of their tumour burden. Additional assessment of tumour biology, e.g. using the DNA index, especially in this subgroup of patients can support the selection of LT candidates who may derive the most long-term survival benefit, even if Milan criteria are not fulfilled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Andreou
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, CharitéBerlin, Germany,Correspondence, Andreas Andreou, Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Charité, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany. Tel: 30 450 652274. Fax: 450 552900. E-mail:
| | - Safak Gül
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, CharitéBerlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Pascher
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, CharitéBerlin, Germany
| | - Wenzel Schöning
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, CharitéBerlin, Germany
| | - Hussein Al-Abadi
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, CharitéBerlin, Germany
| | - Marcus Bahra
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, CharitéBerlin, Germany
| | - Fritz Klein
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, CharitéBerlin, Germany
| | - Timm Denecke
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, CharitéBerlin, Germany
| | - Benjamin Strücker
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, CharitéBerlin, Germany
| | - Gero Puhl
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, CharitéBerlin, Germany
| | - Johann Pratschke
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, CharitéBerlin, Germany
| | - Daniel Seehofer
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, CharitéBerlin, Germany
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48
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Suh KS, Lee HW. Liver transplantation for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: how far can we go? Hepat Oncol 2015; 2:19-28. [PMID: 30190984 DOI: 10.2217/hep.14.34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver transplantation is one of the most effective treatment options for hepatocellular carcinoma. Although the Milan criteria have been widely used to identify suitable candidates for liver transplant with a good prognosis, many transplant centers have developed and actually used more expanded criteria. Living donor liver transplant (LDLT) is at the center of expansion of criteria because it is based on the personal relationship between a recipient and a donor. Asian LDLT centers have developed various expanded criteria for LDLT using tumor biologic markers as well as the size and number of the tumors. However, there is no consensus on the limit of the expansion of criteria. Here, we present our experience and opinion on LDLT for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung-Suk Suh
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hae Won Lee
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
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49
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Takada Y, Tohyama T, Watanabe J. Biological markers of hepatocellular carcinoma for use as selection criteria in liver transplantation. JOURNAL OF HEPATO-BILIARY-PANCREATIC SCIENCES 2014; 22:279-86. [PMID: 25408520 DOI: 10.1002/jhbp.195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The Milan criteria (MC) have been widely accepted as an effective way of selecting patients with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for curative liver transplantation (LT). However, since a substantial subset of HCC patients exists that is beyond the MC but with the potential for good outcomes after LT, several institutions have recently proposed new extended criteria. To explore optimal criteria that can reasonably predict the risk of recurrence, it is considered that new markers of biological behavior are needed in addition to morphological tumor size and number. Several promising candidates for such biological markers have been reported, including serum tumor markers such as alpha-fetoprotein and des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin, inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, response to pre-transplant treatments for bridging therapy or down-staging, and fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography. However, the role of these biological markers in patient selection criteria for LT has yet to be clarified. This review article aims to summarize the results of recent reported studies and to display perspectives for the establishment of optimal criteria that incorporate such biological markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasutsugu Takada
- Department of HPB and Breast Surgery, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Shitsukawa, Toon, Ehime, 791-0295, Japan.
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50
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Park MS, Lee KW, Yi NJ, Choi YR, Kim H, Hong G, Suh KS, Kwon CHD, Joh JW, Lee SK. Optimal tailored screening protocol after living donor liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma. J Korean Med Sci 2014; 29:1360-6. [PMID: 25368488 PMCID: PMC4214935 DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2014.29.10.1360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2014] [Accepted: 07/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The indication for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is expanding in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Early detection and effective management of recurrence has become an important issue in LDLT for HCC. This study aimed to find an optimal screening protocol in terms of screening interval and screening tools by analyzing recurrence pattern after LDLT for HCC. A total of 205 LDLT patients in two centers from February 1999 to October 2010 was reviewed. Recurrence appeared in 55 cases. Six risk factors for recurrence were identified: preoperative alpha-fetoprotein >400, Edmonson grade 3 or 4, tumor size >7 cm, tumor number ≥7, minimal tumor necrosis in the transarterial chemoembolization group and positive micro-vascular invasion. Four groups with different ranges of index scores showed different recurrence-free survival and median time to recurrence. Group I showed low and late recurrence. Groups II and III showed linearly increased rate of recurrence until 18 months. Group IV showed very early recurrence within 6 months. Across the groups, extra-hepatic recurrence developed in more than 40% of cases and multi-organ recurrence rate was 20%. The screening interval should be different based on the risk of recurrence. Screening should include work-up for extra-hepatic recurrence as well as intra-hepatic recurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Su Park
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kwang-Woong Lee
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Nam-Joon Yi
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Young Rok Choi
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyeyoung Kim
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Geun Hong
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kyung-Suk Suh
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Choon-Hyuck David Kwon
- Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jae-Won Joh
- Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Suk-Koo Lee
- Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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