Double primary hepatic cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma) originating from hepatic progenitor cell: a case report and review of the literature

Characteristics, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of double primary hepatic cancer: experience based on a series of 12 cases

Double Primary Hepatic Cancer (DPHC) which refers to synchronous hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) coexisting in the same liver, has rarely been reported. Here we discussed the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of DPHC based on an analysis of 12 DPHC cases. Meanwhile, data of 60 HCC cases and 60 ICC cases were collected at a ratio of 5:1 and with matched age and gender to DPHC in the same period. A total of 4,626 cases of primary liver cancer were screened, and the proportion of DPHC was approximately 0.26%. Hepatitis B Virus prevalence in the DPHC group (83.3%) was higher than that in the ICC group (38.3%). Lymph node metastasis was more common in the DPHC group (16.7%) compared to the HCC group (1.7%). The median disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) for DPHC were 6.0±2.6 months and 15.0±1.7 months, respectively. Pathological diagnosis indicated a significant effect of preoperative adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) on HCC, but limited efficacy on ICC. Both alpha fetoprotein and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels were elevated in the DPHC group. In conclusion, the preferred treatment for DPHC is radical resection and regional lymphadenectomy. Preoperative TACE is effective for DPHC with large HCC components. The prognosis for DPHC is marked by high recurrence and high mortality.

A rare case of synchronous double primary hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: A case report

INTRODUCTION

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) are two primary liver cancers. Synchronous occurrence of both types is rare. Here, we present a case of synchronous, double primary liver cancer in a patient who underwent successful surgical resection.

PRESENTATION OF A CASE

A 77-year-old woman presented with two suspected liver tumors. Dynamic computed tomography (CT) and ethoxybenzyl-magnetic resonance imaging revealed two lesions, one in hepatic segments S8/4 and another in S5. Positron emission tomography (PET)/CT scans revealed an elevated maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of 5.7 in the S8/4 tumor, and no elevation in the S5 tumor. The S8/4 tumor was diagnosed as either ICC or mixed-type liver cancer, while the S5 tumor was confirmed HCC. Surgical resection confirmed the diagnosis, while pathology identified the S8/4 tumor as ICC and the S5 tumor as HCC. Two months post-operation, the patient received adjuvant chemotherapy and completed eight courses with no recurrence one year later.

DISCUSSION

Synchronous double-primary HCC and ICC is uncommon and exhibits diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Notably, PET-CT scans can differentiate between the two cancers, with HCC typically showing similar uptake to the background liver tissue, whereas ICC is often found with higher accumulation. This highlights the potential utility of PET/CT in preoperative diagnoses and the potential benefit of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with double primary HCC and ICC.

CONCLUSION

We report a successful case of synchronous double primary liver cancer, emphasizing the potential role of PET/CT in preoperative differentiation, and the efficacy of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.

Synchronous presentation of hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: Report of an exceptional case with review of the literature

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE

The occurrence of distinct synchronous hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CC) is extremely rare. Less than 50 cases have been reported in the literature. The aim of our study was to describe the clinicopathological features of this association.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 75-year-old female patient with chronic hepatitis C cirrhosis presented with three hepatic nodules affecting segments IV, VIII and V during follow-up of her disease. Only the V-segment nodule was radiologically suspicious of malignancy (classified as LI-RADS5). These nodules were resected after discussion of the case in a multidisciplinary meeting. Histological examination showed that the nodules in segments VIII and V corresponded respectively to an HCC with immunohistochemistry showing HepPar1 (+), CK7(-) and CK19(-), and to an intrahepatic CC with immunohistochemistry showing HepPar1 (-), CK7(+) and CK19(+). The excision was radical. The post-operative course was uncomplicated. After a 6-month follow-up, the patient did not develop any locoregional recurrence or metastases.

CLINICAL DISCUSSION

Synchronous association of HCC and CC is very uncommon, and diagnosis is based on pathological and immunohistochemical examination. Infection with the HCV represents a major risk factor for simultaneous association. Synchronous presentation in HCV-infected individuals has been associated with a poorer prognosis compared with cases where only a single type of liver cancer is present.

CONCLUSION

The prognosis of this association is generally poor, notably due to the aggressive behavior of CC. Surgical resection remains the first-line treatment option, when possible, but comprehensive management of these complex cases requires a multidisciplinary approach tailored to each patient's specific circumstances.

An unresectable and metastatic intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with EML4-ALK rearrangement achieving partial response after first-line treatment with ensartinib: a case report

Systemic chemotherapies are the primary treatment options for patients with unresectable and metastatic intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), but the effectiveness of current systemic therapies is limited. The development of targeted-therapy has changed the treatment landscape of ICC, and comprehensive genome sequencing of advanced cholangiocarcinoma patients could be beneficial to identify potential targets to guide individualized treatment. Herein, we reported an unresectable and metastatic ICC patient who detected EML4-ALK rearrangement in peripheral blood, which was later confirmed on tissue-based testing, and achieved partial response (PR) after first-line treatment with ensartinib. This case suggests that the liquid biopsy is of clinical value for unresectable or metastatic ICC, and the discovery of rare molecular targets provides new therapeutically approaches for advanced ICC patients.

Synchronous double primary hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: A case report and review of the literature

RATIONALE

Presence of synchronous double hepatocelluar carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) (sdpHCC-ICC) located separately within a single liver is extremely rare. The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical, imaging, pathological characteristics, and prognosis of patients with sdpHCC-ICC, in order to enhance our understanding of the disease and improve diagnostic and therapeutic effect.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 49-year-old, female with the diagnosis of hepatitis B virus with obvious liver cirrhosis, was admitted to our hospital. On admission, the levels of α-fetoprotein and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 were found to be elevated. Abdominal ultrasonography and enhanced computed tomography revealed 2 solid masses located in segments (S) 4 and 6 of the liver, with malignant behaviors.

DIAGNOSES

In the light of above investigations, preoperative diagnosis of multiple primary hepatocellular carcinomas was made.

INTERVENTION

Hepatic resection of both segments was done. The resected specimens revealed the presence of well-defined tumors in segments 4 and 6 measuring 5.0 cm and 2.5 cm respectively.

OUTCOMES

Histopathological examination confirmed the tumor of the 4th segment to be moderately and poorly differentiated ICC, and the tumor of the 6th segment to be poorly differentiated HCC. Immunohistochemically, the ICC in S4 was positive for CK19 and negative for Heppar-1, whereas the HCC in S6 was positive for Heppar-1 and negative for CK19. Unfortunately, metastasis to multiple organs and lymph nodes were observed 3 months later. The patient died of liver failure 16 months after surgery.

LESSONS

The clinical characteristics of sdpHCC-ICC are usually atypical and nonspecific making its preoperative diagnosis quite difficult. Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection were both the independent risk factor for the development of sdpHCC-ICC. In patients with chronic liver disease, careful observation with imaging is of utmost necessity. Tumor markers may also play a valuable role in the diagnosis. The definite diagnosis depends on pathological examination. Hepatic resection is considered the most effective mode of treatment. The prognosis of synchronous occurrence of double hepatic cancers is worse than either HCC or ICC, and the origin of the disease needs further study.

Hepatocellular carcinoma with biliary and neuroendocrine differentiation: A case report

BACKGROUND

Liver tumors with dual differentiations [combined hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma] are common. However, liver tumors that exhibit hepatocellular, biliary, and neuroendocrine differentiation are exceedingly rare, with only three previous case reports in the literature.

CASE SUMMARY

A 65-year-old female with a previous history of hepatitis C and a distant history of low grade, well-differentiated rectal neuroendocrine tumor was found to have two liver lesions in segment 4 and segment 7 on imaging. Serum alpha-fetoprotein and chromogranin A were elevated. Biopsy of the larger lesion in segment 4 revealed a high-grade tumor, with morphologic and immunohistochemical features of a neuroendocrine tumor. Given the previous history of rectal neuroendocrine tumor, imaging investigation, serologic markers, and biopsy findings, metastatic neuroendocrine tumor was considered. Subsequent regional resection of these hepatic lesions revealed the segment 4 lesion to be a HCC with additional biliary and neuroendocrine differentiation and the segment 7 lesion to be a cholangiocarcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation. Follow-up of the patient revealed disease recurrence in the dome of the liver and metastasis in retro-pancreatic lymph nodes. The patient eventually expired due to complications of chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

HCC cases with additional biliary and neuroendocrine differentiation are exceedingly rare, posing a diagnostic challenge for clinicians and pathologists.

Diagnosis of liver tumors by multimodal ultrasound imaging

To investigate the diagnostic value of multimodal ultrasound imaging composed of conventional ultrasonography (US), contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS), and shear wave elastography (SWE) for liver tumors.Between October 2017 and October 2019, US, CEUS, and SWE examinations of a total of 158 liver tumors in 136 patients at The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University were performed. The histopathological or imaging diagnostic results were used as controls to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of US, CEUS, SWE, and multimodal ultrasound imaging, which combines these 3 modes, in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant liver tumors.Among the 158 tumors, there were 64 benign tumors, including 55 cases of hepatic hemangioma, 3 cases of focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver, 4 cases of hepatic cyst, and 2 cases of focal nonuniform distribution of fat in the liver. There were 94 malignant tumors, including 32 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma, 22 cases of intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma, 29 cases of metastatic liver cancer, and 11 cases of dysplastic nodules in cirrhotic liver. In the diagnosis of benign and malignant liver tumors, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 82.56%, 68.06%, 75.96%, 75.53%, and 76.56% for US; 92.39%, 86.36%, 89.87%, 90.43%, and 89.06% for CEUS; 87.14%, 76.81%, 82.91%, 82.98%, and 82.81% for SWE; and 97.85%, 95.38%, 96.83%, 96.81%, and 96.88% for multimodal ultrasound imaging, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were all significantly higher for multimodal ultrasound imaging than those values for US, CEUS, and SWE (all P < .05). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve for US, CEUS, SWE, and multimodal ultrasound imaging in the diagnosis of benign and malignant liver tumors were 0.760, 0.897, 0.829, and 0.968, respectively.US, CEUS, and SWE all have diagnostic value in the diagnosis of benign and malignant liver tumors. Multimodal ultrasound imaging could significantly increase the accuracy of the diagnosis of benign and malignant liver tumors and has higher value for clinical application.

Synchronous Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Cholangiocellular Carcinoma on 18F-FDG PET/CT

A 43-year-old male patient presented with a mass lesion on the right liver lobe, segment 5, in radiological imaging and elevated alpha-fetoprotein levels (323 ng/mL) compatible with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) images showed background level ¹⁸F-FDG uptake in the mass lesion. In addition, a secondary focus of increased ¹⁸F-FDG uptake was detected on the left liver lobe, segment 2, approximately 1,5 cm in diameter. Histopathological examination revealed HCC in the larger mass lesion with a lower ¹⁸F-FDG uptake, and cholangiocellular carcinoma in the smaller mass lesion with a higher ¹⁸F-FDG uptake. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of two histopathologically different primary malignant liver tumors in two distinct segments of the liver detected by PET/CT.