Local-Regional Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Primer for Radiologists

Machine Learning-Based Nomogram for Predicting Overall Survival in Elderly Patients with Cirrhotic Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Ablation Therapy

Purpose

The aim of the study is to identify and evaluate multifaceted factors impacting the survival of elderly cirrhotic HCC patients following ablation therapy, with the goal of constructing a nomogram to predict their 3-, 5-, and 8-year overall survival (OS).

Patients and Methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 736 elderly cirrhotic HCC patients who underwent ablation therapy between 2014 and 2022. LASSO regression, random survival forest (RSF), and multivariate Cox analyses were employed to identify independent prognostic factors for OS, followed by the development and validation of a predictive nomogram. Harrell's concordance index (C-index), calibration plot and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to assess the performance of the nomogram. The nomogram was finally utilized to stratify patients into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups, aiming to assess its efficacy in precisely discerning individuals with diverse overall survival outcomes.

Results

Alcohol drinking, tumor number, globulin (Glob) and prealbumin (Palb) were identified and integrated to establish a novel prognostic nomogram. The nomogram exhibited strong discriminative ability with C-indices of 0.723 (training cohort) and 0.693 (validation cohort), along with significant Area Under the Curve (AUC) values for 3-year, 5-year, and 8-year OS in both cohorts (0.758, 0.770, and 0.811 for training cohort; 0.744, 0.699 and 0.737 for validation cohort). Calibration plots substantiated its consistency, while DCA curves corroborated its clinical utility. The nomogram further demonstrated exceptional effectiveness in discerning distinct risk populations, highlighting its robust applicability for prognostic stratification.

Conclusion

Our study successfully developed and validated a robust nomogram model based on four key clinical parameters for predicting 3-, 5- and 8-year OS among elderly cirrhotic HCC patients following ablation therapy. The nomogram exhibited a remarkable capability in identifying high-risk patients, furnishing clinicians with invaluable insights for postoperative surveillance and tailored therapeutic interventions.

Efficacy of Liver-Directed Combined Radiotherapy in Locally Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Portal Vein Tumor Thrombosis

PURPOSE

Although systemic treatment is the mainstay for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), numerous studies have highlighted the added value of local treatment. This study aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy of liver-directed combined radiotherapy (LD combined RT) compared with that of sorafenib, a recommended treatment until recently for locally advanced HCC presenting portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT), using a multinational patient cohort.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We identified patients with HCC presenting PVTT treated with either sorafenib or LD combined RT in 10 tertiary hospitals in Asia from 2005 to 2014. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to minimize the imbalance between the two groups. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS), and the secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and treatment-related toxicity.

RESULTS

A total of 1035 patients (675 in the LD combined RT group and 360 in the sorafenib group) were included in this study. After PSM, 305 patients from each group were included in the analysis. At a median follow-up of 22.5 months, the median OS was 10.6 and 4.2 months for the LD combined RT and sorafenib groups, respectively (p < 0.001). The conversion rate to curative surgery was significantly higher (8.5% vs. 1.0%, p < 0.001), while grade ≥ 3 toxicity was fewer (9.2% vs. 16.1%, p < 0.001) in the LD combined RT group.

CONCLUSIONS

LD combined RT improved survival outcomes with a higher conversion rate to curative surgery in patients with locally advanced HCC presenting PVTT. Although further prospective studies are warranted, active multimodal local treatment involving radiotherapy is suggested for locally advanced HCC presenting PVTT.

Non-Surgical Locoregional Therapies Alone or in Combination with Systemic Therapy in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer, representing the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Curative intent treatment options for patients with HCC include liver transplantation, resection and ablation of small lesions. Other potentially curative therapies include cryoablation, microwave ablation and percutaneous alcohol injection. For locally advanced disease, different arterially directed therapies including transarterial chemoembolization and selective internal radiation therapy, plus external beam radiation including three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, stereotactic body radiation therapy and proton beam therapy, are available or studied. Systemic therapies based on checkpoint inhibitors and tyrosine kinase inhibitors are available for the management of metastatic HCC and sometimes for locally advanced disease. Combinations of locoregional therapies with systemic drugs are currently the subject of several clinical trials.