Particle radiotherapy, a novel external radiation therapy, versus liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma accompanied with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus: A matched-pair analysis

Comparison of External Beam Radiation Therapy Modalities for Hepatocellular Carcinoma With Macrovascular Invasion: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review

Purpose

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare external beam radiation therapy modalities for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with macrovascular invasion (MVI).

Methods

Studies were selected from online databases from the date of inception to November 2021. The outcomes of interest were overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), and local control rate (LCR).

Results

Forty-four studies (n = 3730) were selected from 1050 articles. The pooled 1-year OS were 60.9%, 45.3%, and 44.9 for particle radiotherapy (PRT) group, conventional radiotherapy (CRT), and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) group, respectively; p = 0.005 and 0.002 for PRT vs. CRT and SBRT, respectively. Both the PRT group and the SBRT group have the advantage over the CRT group in the pooled ORR. The PRT group showed significantly higher than the CRT group (p = 0.007) in LCR. For combination therapy, CRT plus transarterial chemoembolization can prolong survival than CRT alone (p = 0.006 for 1-year OS; p = 0.014 for 2-year OS). Among grade ≥ 3 complications, the most frequent type of toxicity in CRT, SBRT, PRT group was hematological toxicity, hepatotoxicity, dermatological toxicity, respectively.

Conclusions

Among patients with HCC with MVI, the 1-year OS and the 2-year OS were both higher in the PRT group than in the CRT, SBRT groups. The ORR was similar between the PRT and SBRT groups. The combination therapy based on radiotherapy is expectable. PRT is associated with less complications than photon radiotherapy.

Liver resection versus intensity-modulated radiation therapy for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma with hepatic vein tumor thrombus: a propensity score matching analysis

Background

The presence of hepatic vein tumor thrombus (HVTT) is a major determinant of survival outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. This study compared survival outcomes between liver resection (LR) and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in HCC patients with HVTT.

Methods

Data from patients who underwent LR or IMRT for HCC with HVTT at the Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Their survival outcomes were compared before and after propensity score matching (PSM).

Results

Three hundred and seven HCC patients with HVTT who underwent either LR (n=140) or IMRT (n=167) were enrolled. PSM matched 82 pairs of patients. The overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were significantly higher for patients in the LR group than those in the IMRT group. On subgroup analysis, significantly better survival outcomes were obtained after LR than IMRT in patients with peripheral type of HVTT (pHVTT) and major type of HVTT (mHVTT). However, similar survival outcomes were obtained after LR and IMRT when the HVTT had developed into inferior vena cava tumor thrombus (IVCTT).

Conclusions

LR resulted in significantly better survival outcomes in HCC patients with HVTT when compared to IMRT. Once the HVTT had developed IVCTT, LR and IMRT resulted in similarly bad survival outcomes.

Salvage hepatectomy for local recurrence after particle therapy using proton and carbon ion beams for liver cancer

AIM

With the increased use of particle therapy for liver cancer, local recurrence after particle therapy increased. Salvage hepatectomy is an acceptable treatment option for local recurrence following particle therapy; however, its safety and effectiveness remain unclear. Therefore, this multi-center study aimed to verify the feasibility and efficacy of salvage hepatectomy and assess clinical issues associated with its application.

METHODS

We retrospectively assessed the perioperative outcomes, prognosis, and pathological characteristics of 15 patients who underwent salvage hepatectomy for local recurrence after particle therapy between 2006 and 2019.

RESULTS

Hepatocellular carcinoma and metastatic liver tumors were noted in eight and seven patients, respectively. The mean total dose and number of fractions were 66.5 Gy and 12, respectively, and the mean interval between particle therapy and surgery was 30.1 months. Major hepatectomy was performed in seven cases. Moreover, the mortality rate was 0%, and surgical complications of Clavien-Dindo grade IIIa or higher were observed in four cases (27%)-two bile leakages, one pleural effusion, and one refractory skin fistula. The median overall survival time and 5-year overall survival rate after salvage hepatectomy were 29.9 months and 43.1%, respectively. Histological examination of the irradiated liver tissue surrounding the tumor showed sinusoidal dilatation, loss of hepatocyte, and fibrosis in most cases.

CONCLUSION

Salvage hepatectomy after particle therapy is a feasible therapy; however, the risk of refractory complications associated with particle therapy is relatively high. Therefore, the first-line treatment for resectable liver cancer should be carefully determined considering second-line treatment after local recurrence.

Combined Chemoembolization and Radiotherapy Versus Chemoembolization Alone for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Invading the Hepatic Vein or Inferior Vena Cava

PURPOSE

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) plus radiotherapy compared with TACE alone for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) invading the hepatic vein (HV) or inferior vena cava (IVC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data from 79 patients who underwent TACE plus radiotherapy as a first-line treatment for non-metastatic HCC invading the HV or IVC between 2006 and 2018 were retrospectively evaluated. These findings were compared with data from a historical control group, consisting of 80 patients who received TACE alone between 2000 and 2006.

RESULTS

Baseline characteristics were similar in both groups. Median progression-free survival (PFS) (8.1 vs. 4.4 months, P = 0.003) and overall survival (OS) (18.3 vs. 9.5 months, P = 0.002) were longer in the TACE plus radiotherapy than in the TACE alone group. Multivariate analysis showed that PFS and OS were significantly associated with treatment type. Subgroup analyses found that TACE plus radiotherapy showed better OS than TACE alone in patients with Child-Pugh class A, maximal tumor size < 9 cm, tumor number < 4, serum alpha-fetoprotein level ≥ 400 ng/mL, infiltrative tumor, IVC tumor thrombus, and combined portal vein invasion. The major complication rates were similar between the TACE plus radiotherapy (16.5%) and the TACE alone (13.8%) group (P = 0.664) CONCLUSION: Both TACE plus radiotherapy and TACE alone showed similar safety in treating non-metastatic HCC invading the HV or IVC. TACE plus radiotherapy seems effective to prolong OS and PFS compared to TACE alone in this specific patient group.

Surgical spacer placement for proton radiotherapy in locally advanced pancreatic body and tail cancers: initial clinical results

Background

Particle radiotherapy has increasingly gained acceptance for locally advanced pancreatic cancers owing to superior tumor conformity and dosimetry compared to conventional photon radiotherapy. However, the close proximity of the pancreas to the stomach and duodenum leads to radiation-induced gastrointestinal toxicities, which hinder the delivery of curative doses to the tumor. To overcome this problem, a surgical spacer was placed between the tumor and gastrointestinal tract, and subsequent proton radiotherapy was performed in this study.

Methods

Data from 9 patients who underwent surgical spacer placement and subsequent proton radiotherapy were analyzed. The safety and feasibility of the spacer placement surgery were evaluated; the impact of the spacer on dosimetry was also assessed using dose volume histogram (DVH) analyses, before and after surgical spacer placement.

Results

Surgical spacer placement and subsequent proton radiotherapy were successfully completed in all cases. Surgical spacer placement significantly improved the dose intensity covering 95%, mean, and minimum doses for the gross tumor volume, and the clinical and planning target volume based on the DVH, while respecting the dose constraints of the gastrointestinal tract. Based on the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, two patients (22.2%) developed gastrointestinal ulcer (Grade 2) at 1 and 35 months, and one patient (11.1%) developed gastric perforation (Grade 4) at 4 months after proton radiotherapy.

Conclusions

Surgical spacer placement in the locally advanced pancreatic body and tail cancers is relatively safe and technically feasible. Comparing radiation plans, surgical spacer placement seems to improve the dose distribution in the locally advanced pancreatic body and tail cancers, which are close to the gastrointestinal tract.

Efficacy of Local Treatments for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Involving the Inferior Vena Cava and/or Right Atrium

Major vessel invasion is frequently observed in locally advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The most commonly involved major vessel is the portal vein; however, approximately 4% of patients with HCC have inferior vena cava (IVC) and/or right atrium (RA) invasion. Although these conditions have dismal prognoses, local treatments have not been regularly administered because they may affect systemic circulation. Owing to recent technological advances, various local treatments including surgery and external radiotherapy have increasingly been performed in these patients. Since irradiating tumorous lesions in the liver while preserving normal tissues is possible and major vessels are relatively resistant to radiation, external radiotherapy has been a feasible palliative modality for treating vessel-invasive HCC. In addition, systemic fatal complications that were initially a cause of concern have become rare after radiotherapy. While invasive procedures such as extracorporeal circulation or hepatic vascular exclusion may be required, pioneering surgeons have performed surgical resections in selected patients and have obtained promising results. Surgery has shown the best survival outcomes compared to other treatment options including radiotherapy, but the possibility of perioperative morbidity should be considered. In addition, a combination of local treatment and novel systemic agents, which demonstrated better survival and response rates than sorafenib, is expected to maximize therapeutic effects. In this review, we have discussed the most recent treatments for HCC with IVC and/or RA involvement and have provided information intended to guide therapeutic decisions and facilitate future research.

Assessing the Survival Benefit of Surgery and Various Types of Radiation Therapy for Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Evidence from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Registries

Objective

To evaluate the survival benefit of surgery and radiation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after adjusting for patient-specific and tumor-specific factors.

Methods

This study analyzed HCC patients who enrolled in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry between January 2004 and December 2013. Of the 5552 HCC patients, 4597 received surgery and 955 received radiation. Patients who received radiation were further divided into 3 subgroups: 541 who received beam radiation (BR), 197 who received radioactive implants (RI), and 217 who received radioisotopes (RIT). Propensity score weighting analysis derived from generalized boosted models (GBMs) was performed to ensure well-balanced characteristics in all comparison groups.

Results

Overall survival rates and HCC-specific survival rates were higher in those receiving surgery compared with those receiving radiotherapy. This was confirmed by Cox proportional hazard regression both before and after inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). Before IPTW, the RIT group had a better outcome than the BR group in terms of overall and HCC-specific survival rates, but there was no significant difference between the RI and BR groups. After IPTW, Cox proportional hazard regression demonstrated that both the RIT and RI groups had higher survival rates than the BR group.

Conclusion

In HCC patients, surgery was associated with higher survival rates compared with radiotherapy while adjusting for other factors. Among those who received radiotherapy, RIT and RI granted survival benefits.

Clinical impact of Hypofractionated carbon ion radiotherapy on locally advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) involving a major branch of the portal or hepatic vein is in a locally advanced stage and remains difficult to cure. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effects of carbon ion radiotherapy (C-ion RT) in locally advanced HCC (LAHCC).

Methods

The data of 11 consecutive patients with LAHCC who received C-ion RT were analyzed. The C-ion RT doses of 52.8 Gy (relative biological effectiveness [RBE]) and 60.0 Gy (RBE) were delivered in 4 fractions for standard cases, and the 60.0 Gy dose was delivered in 12 fractions for close-to-gastrointestinal-tract cases. Survival and local control probabilities were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

Results

The median follow-up duration after C-ion RT was 36.4 months. The median age at the time of registration for C-ion RT was 76 years. The median tumor size was 53 mm. The numbers of treatment-naive and recurrent HCC patients were 1 and 10, respectively. Direct invasion of the major branch of the portal vein, hepatic vein, or both portal and hepatic veins was observed in three, five, and three patients, respectively. The 3-year overall survival, local control, and progression-free survival rates were 64, 78, and 18%, respectively. No patient developed radiation-induced liver diseases or grade 3 or higher toxicities in the acute and late phases.

Conclusions

C-ion RT showed favorable clinical outcomes with a high rate of local control and minimal toxicities in LAHCC. Our findings suggest that C-ion RT is a promising multidisciplinary treatment option in LAHCC.

Diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma with inferior vena cava/right atrium tumor thrombus

Although tumor thrombus (TT) infringement of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and right atrium (RA) is rarely observed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the prognosis for this condition is extremely poor, with a median survival time of several months, given that the condition is often diagnosed at an advanced tumor stage or combined with multiple systemic metastases. Furthermore, there is no established effective treatment for the condition. However, some investigators insist that active treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy (systemic or intra-arterial), radiation therapy, best supportive care or a combination of these, may help prolong overall survival time in these patients. The management of patients with advanced HCC and a TT extending into the RA and IVC is extremely difficult and risky. To this end, the present review assessed the literature on the clinical features and treatments of this condition in recent years, with the aim of providing assistance for clinical work.

Resection of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma with thrombi in the inferior vena cava, right atrium, and phrenic vein: a report of three cases

Background

Prognosis for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with a tumor thrombus in the inferior vena cava or right atrium is extremely poor due to cancer progression, pulmonary embolism, and congestion of the circulatory system caused by right heart failure. Surgical resection of the tumor thrombi may potentially yield better results than non-surgical treatments through prevention of sudden death. However, the benefits of surgical resection in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and a tumor thrombus extending to the inferior vena cava, right atrium, and potentially in the phrenic vein are unclear. Here, we report three such cases.

Case presentation

Of the total 136 patients who underwent hepatectomies for hepatocellular carcinoma in our institution, three patients with prior hepatectomies and recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma had tumor thrombi in the inferior vena cava, right atrium, and phrenic vein. Surgical resections were performed, as there was a possibility of sudden death, despite the risk of leaving residual tumor. For all patients, we performed resection of the tumor thrombi in the inferior vena cava and right atrium and combined diaphragm resection. Surgical resection was performed using the total hepatic vascular exclusion technique in all cases. Additional passive veno-venous bypass was also performed in two cases, in which complete tumor resections could not be achieved. The microscopic surgical margins of the combined resected diaphragms were positive in all cases. Progression-free survival was 20.2, 3.8, and 9.5 months for case 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The respective overall postoperative survival was 98.0, 38.9, and 30.9 months. The patients died due to liver cirrhosis, acute heart failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma, respectively. Sudden death did not occur for any of the patients.

Conclusion

Surgical resections may extend prognosis for patients with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma with tumor thrombi in the inferior vena cava, right atrium, and phrenic vein, although the indications should be considered carefully.

Nomogram for Predicting Long-Term Survival after Synchronous Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Inferior Vena Cava Tumor Thrombosis: A Multicenter Retrospective Study

Background

Although surgery for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) complicated with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus (IVCTT) may improve survival for some patients, prognostic markers remain elusive because of its rarity. We constructed a prognostic nomogram which predicts individualized survival benefit of curative-intent surgery for HCC patients with IVCTT.

Methods

According to abdominothoracic anatomy of inferior vena cava (IVC), IVCTT can be divided into 3 types: inferior diaphragmic (ID), superior diaphragmic (SD), and intracardiac type (IC). Data of 64 HCC patients with IVCTT who underwent curative-intent surgery between 2008 and 2015 in four centers in China were analyzed retrospectively. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were conducted to select variables for the construction of a prognostic nomogram. Predictive accuracy and discriminative ability were examined by concordance index (C-index) and calibration curve.

Results

Of 64 patients in the IVCTT classification, 37 (57.8%) were classified as ID type, 15 (23.4%) as SD type, and 12 (18.8%) as IC type. The 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS) rates for patients in ID, SD, and IC groups were 94.4%, 55.6%, 71.4%, and 30.0%; 27.8%, 21.4%, 7.1%, and 0%; and 8.3%, 0%, 0%, and 0%, respectively. Independent factors included in the nomogram were ECOG performance status, AFP level ≥ 400 μg/L, tumor size ≥ 10 cm, portal vein tumor thrombosis, and IVCTT classification. The C-index of the nomogram was 0.812 (95% CI 0.761–0.873). The calibration plot for DSS probability showed excellent agreement between the prediction by nomogram and actual observation.

Conclusions

Curative-intent surgery should be carefully evaluated and suggested according to our novel IVCTT classification. We have developed a visual web-based nomogram model to predict oncological prognosis of curative-intent surgery for HCC patients with IVCTT.

Proton beam therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma associated with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus

PURPOSE

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus (IVCTT) is rare and regarded as an advanced disease stage with poor prognosis. Treatment effect data regarding HCC with IVCTT is scarce and clear evidence has not been established. This study, therefore, aims to examine the safety and effectiveness of proton beam therapy (PBT) for HCC patients with IVCTT.

METHODS

From January 2005 to December 2014, a total of 21 HCC patients with IVCTT were analyzed. The total irradiation doses ranged from 50 to 74 (median 72.6) gray relative biological effectiveness.

RESULTS

The follow-up period was 4-120 (median 21) months. Regarding acute toxicities, dermatitis of grade 1-2 was observed in all patients, while no grade 3 or higher late toxicity events were encountered. The overall survival (OS) rates for all patients were 62%, 33%, and 19% at 1, 2, and 3 years, respectively. No local recurrences for the treated lesions, including IVCTT, were observed. According to univariate analysis, IVCTT extension type was not associated with prognosis, but only tumor number significantly affected the OS rate (p = 0.003). For 10 single lesion patients, the longest survival time was 120 months with OS rates of 82%, 64%, and 36% at 1, 2, and 3 years, respectively.

CONCLUSION

PBT is safe and effective for HCC patients with IVCTT, especially those with single lesion status. PBT is an important treatment option for HCC patients with IVCTT.