Treatment approach in patients with hyperbilirubinemia secondary to liver metastases in gastrointestinal malignancies: a case series and review of literature

Improved Survival With Chemotherapy in Patients With Malignant Biliary Tract Obstruction After Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage (PTBD)

Introduction Biliary tree stenting for malignant biliary tract obstructions is a routine modality for the relief of jaundice. Treatment is palliative in most circumstances. However, adequate reduction in bilirubin levels after percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) may help to offer chemotherapy, which may improve survival in a limited number of cases. Materials and methods Between March 2017 and March 2023, patients who were treated with PTBD to relieve malignant biliary tract obstruction were included in the analysis. Patients who achieved bilirubin levels ≤5 mg/dL after PTBD were considered for chemotherapy. For survival analysis, a comparison was done between patients treated with chemotherapy after PTBD versus patients who did not receive any treatment after PTBD.  Results Data was available for 43 (100%) patients. After PTBD, 16 (37.2%) patients responded and were considered for further treatment. One patient who was advised of radical surgery refused treatment and did not return for further treatment or follow-up. The remaining 15 cases (34.9%) received Gemcitabine and platinum-based chemotherapy as a first-line option. Out of 15 cases who received chemotherapy only one patient (6.6%) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and the rest of 14 (32.5.%) cases received palliative chemotherapy in view of metastatic disease. PTBD complications including leakage, dislodgement of PTBD catheter, pain, and bleeding were seen in 16 (37.2%) cases. Overall survival was 57% for the entire population. Patients treated with chemotherapy after PTBD had better overall survival compared to patients who did not receive any treatment after PTBD (73.3% vs 33% (p=0.008)). Conclusion PTBD is an excellent technique for the relief of biliary obstruction. More than one-third (34.9%) of the cases received further cancer-directed treatment after relief of jaundice by PTBD. Chemotherapy after PTBD is associated with improvement in overall survival in malignant biliary obstructions.

Successful treatment with nivolumab in a patient with gastric cancer with severe liver failure resulting from multiple liver metastases: A case report

Gastric cancer (GC) is a globally prevalent and deadly malignancy often diagnosed at advanced stages, which can be accompanied by liver metastases. Conventional chemotherapy is contraindicated in patients with severe liver failure because several chemotherapeutic agents are metabolized by the liver. The present study reports on the successful use of nivolumab in a patient with advanced GC and severe liver failure owing to multiple liver metastases. A 57-year-old man was admitted to Shimane Prefectural Central Hospital (Izumo, Japan) with a 2-week history of appetite loss and jaundice. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed advanced GC (type IV). Computed tomography examination confirmed wall thickening of the gastric pylorus and the presence of multiple liver metastases. A gastric mucosal biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of HER2-positive gastric adenocarcinoma. S-1 + cisplatin chemotherapy was initiated but had to be halted due to the rapid deterioration in liver function, ultimately leading to acute liver failure. The patient was discharged from the hospital under palliative care. The patient was referred to Shimane University Hospital (Izumo, Japan) for a second consultation. Upon admission, the patient presented with severe liver failure, a Child-Pugh score of 10 (Class C), elevated total bilirubin levels of 13.9 mg/dl (normal range: <1.8 mg/dl) and elevated CEA and CA19-9. Nivolumab treatment was initiated, and notably, there was a substantial reduction in bilirubin levels, an improvement in liver function after a single cycle and a partial response observed in imaging studies. Despite the initial poor prognosis, the patient achieved long-term survival, ultimately succumbing to the illness 2 years and 6 months following the initiation of treatment. The present case underscores the potential of immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as nivolumab, in the treatment of patients with cancer and severe liver failure. It also challenges the conventional constraints of chemotherapy, offering a promising direction for future research in this area.

Anti-EGFR antibody monotherapy for colorectal cancer with severe hyperbilirubinemia: A case report

BACKGROUND

Hyperbilirubinemia with hepatic metastases is a common complication and a poor prognostic factor for colorectal cancer (CRC). Effective drainage is often impossible before initiating systemic chemotherapy, owing to the liver's diffuse metastatic involvement. Moreover, an appropriate chemotherapeutic approach for the treatment of hyperbilirubinemia is currently unavailable.

CASE SUMMARY

The patient, a man in his 50s, presented with progressive fatigue and severe jaundice. Computed tomography revealed multiple hepatic masses with thickened walls in the sigmoid colon, which was pathologically confirmed as a well-differentiated adenocarcinoma. No RAS or BRAF mutations were detected. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) score was 2. Biliary drainage was impossible due to the absence of a dilated bile duct, and panitumumab monotherapy was promptly initiated. Subsequently, the bilirubin level decreased and then normalized, and the patient's PS improved to zero ECOG score after four cycles of therapy without significant adverse events.

CONCLUSION

Anti-EGFR antibody monotherapy is a safe and effective treatment for RAS wild-type CRC and hepatic metastases with severe hyperbilirubinemia.

Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia: Background and recent literature updates on the diagnosis and treatment

Hyperbilirubinemia or jaundice has been studied by many researchers because of its diverse causes and potential for toxicity especially in the neonate but to a lesser extent beyond the neonate as well. Several studies have been performed on the normal metabolism and metabolic disorders of bilirubin in last decades of the 20th century. The recent advancement in research and technology facilitated for the researchers to investigate new horizons of the causes and treatment of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. This review gives a brief introduction to hyperbilirubinemia and jaundice and the recent advancement in the treatment of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. It reports modifications in the previously used methods and findings of some newly developed ones. At present, ample literature is available discussing the issues regarding hyperbilirubinemia and jaundice, but still more research needs to be done.