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Agudile EP, Vega EA, Salirrosas O, Agudile UM, Chirban AM, Lathan C, Sorescu GP, Odisio BC, Panettieri E, Conrad C. Temporal trends of health disparity in the utilization of curative-intent treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma: are we making progress? J Gastrointest Surg 2024:S1091-255X(24)00456-6. [PMID: 38754809 DOI: 10.1016/j.gassur.2024.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Liver-directed treatments - ablative therapy (AT), surgical resection (SR), liver transplantation (LT), and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) - improve the overall survival of patients with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although racial and socioeconomic disparities affect access to liver-directed therapies, the temporal trends for the curative-intent treatment of HCC remain to be elucidated. METHODS This study performed chi-square, logistic regression, and temporal trends analyses on data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2011 to 2019. The outcome of interest was the rate of AT, SR, LT (curative-intent treatments), and TACE utilization, and the primary predictors were racial/ethnic group and socioeconomic status (SES; insurance status). RESULTS African American and Hispanic patients had lower odds of receiving AT (African American: odds ratio [OR], 0.78; P < .001; Hispanic: OR, 0.84; P = .005) and SR (African American: OR, 0.71; P < .001; Hispanics: OR, 0.64; P < .001) than White patients. Compared with White patients, the odds of LT was lower in African American patients (OR, 0.76; P < .001) but higher in Hispanic patients (OR, 1.25; P = .001). Low SES was associated with worse odds of AT (OR, 0.79; P = .001), SR (OR, 0.66; P < .001), and LT (OR, 0.84; P = .028) compared with high SES. Although curative-intent treatments showed significant upward temporal trends among White patients (10.6%-13.9%; P < .001) and Asian and Pacific Islander/other patients (14.4%-15.7%; P = .007), there were nonsignificant trends among African American patients (10.9%-10.1%; P = .825) or Hispanic patients (12.2%-13.7%; P = .056). CONCLUSION Our study demonstrated concerning disparities in the utilization of curative-intent treatment for HCC based on race/ethnicity and SES. Moreover, racial/ethnic disparities have widened rather than improved over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emeka P Agudile
- Department of Medicine, Steward Carney Hospital, Dorchester, Massachusetts, United States; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Eduardo A Vega
- Department of Surgery, St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Oscar Salirrosas
- Department of Surgery, St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Ukamaka M Agudile
- Department of Medicine, Steward Carney Hospital, Dorchester, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Ariana M Chirban
- Department of Surgery, St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States; Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States
| | - Christopher Lathan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - George P Sorescu
- Department of Medicine, Lemuel Shattuck Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Bruno C Odisio
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States
| | - Elena Panettieri
- Department of Surgery, St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States; Hepatobiliary Surgery Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudius Conrad
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Illinois, United States.
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Schönherr J, Seifert P, Gühne F, Winkens T, Rauchfuß F, Settmacher U, Freesmeyer M, Drescher R. Transarterial Radioembolization (TARE) in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Comparison of Palliative with Bridging-to-Transplant Concepts. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:235. [PMID: 38201662 PMCID: PMC10778280 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16010235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
We investigated transarterial radioembolization (TARE) as a palliative measure and bridging-to-transplant therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. A total of 167 patients (50 bridging, 117 palliative) with 245 TARE procedures were assessed. Fourteen patients underwent subsequent liver transplantation (LT). Patients undergoing LT exhibited significantly prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) compared to those with bridging-without-transplant (p = 0.033). No significant differences were observed between patients with bridging-without-transplant and palliative cases (p = 0.116). Median overall survival (OS) post-TARE was 16.6 months, with estimated OS rates at 6/12 months of 82.0%/60.5%, respectively. Patients who underwent LT demonstrated statistically significantly longer OS compared to those with bridging-without-transplant (p = 0.001). No marked outcome distinctions were found between bridging-without-transplant and palliative groups. The findings underscored the superiority of LT over alternative treatments. TARE served as an important component in non-LT scenarios, allowing for subsequent therapeutic options. The study reflected the highly variable and complex situations of patients with HCC, emphasizing the need for further investigations to define an optimal multimodal approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Schönherr
- Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany; (J.S.); (P.S.); (F.G.); (T.W.); (R.D.)
| | - Philipp Seifert
- Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany; (J.S.); (P.S.); (F.G.); (T.W.); (R.D.)
| | - Falk Gühne
- Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany; (J.S.); (P.S.); (F.G.); (T.W.); (R.D.)
| | - Thomas Winkens
- Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany; (J.S.); (P.S.); (F.G.); (T.W.); (R.D.)
| | - Falk Rauchfuß
- Center of Transplant Surgery, Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany; (F.R.); (U.S.)
| | - Utz Settmacher
- Center of Transplant Surgery, Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany; (F.R.); (U.S.)
| | - Martin Freesmeyer
- Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany; (J.S.); (P.S.); (F.G.); (T.W.); (R.D.)
| | - Robert Drescher
- Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany; (J.S.); (P.S.); (F.G.); (T.W.); (R.D.)
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Xu L, Zhao D, Tian P, Ding J, Jiang Z, Ni G, Hou Z, Ni C. Development and Validation of a Prognostic Model for Transarterial Chemoembolization in Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Based on Preoperative Serum Prealbumin. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2023; 10:2239-2250. [PMID: 38107543 PMCID: PMC10725684 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s433245] [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: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose We aimed to develop a prognostic nomogram utilizing preoperative serum prealbumin levels to predict the overall survival (OS) in patients undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients and Methods A total of 768 individuals with unresectable HCC who underwent TACE at three medical facilities in Suzhou between January 2007 December 2018 were included. The patient cohort was assigned to a training set (n = 461) and a validation set (n = 307). Cox regression analysis identified independent prognostic factors, which were then used to construct a prognostic nomogram. Internal validation was performed in the testing group, and its effectiveness and capability were evaluated with reference to the concordance index (C-index), area under the curve (AUC), calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results Independent risk factors identified through Cox regression analyses included the BCLC stage, cirrhosis, invasion, tumor number, preoperative serum PALB, performance status (PS), and tumor size. The nomogram demonstrated a C-index of 0.734 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.710-0.758) in the training set and 0.717 (95% CI: 0.678-0.756) in the validation set, indicating strong discriminatory ability. The nomogram also demonstrated favorable discriminatory performance with AUC values of 0.873, 0.820, and 0.833 for 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS, respectively, in the training set, and 0.854, 0.765, and 0.724 in the validation set. The AUC value of the nomogram (0.843) was significantly higher than that of the four conventional staging systems. Moreover, calibration graphs confirmed a strong concordance between the predicted and observed results. Furthermore, DCA underscored the significant clinical utility of the nomogram. Additionally, the low-risk group exhibited considerably superior rates of survival compared to the high-risk group. Conclusion The developed nomogram demonstrated excellent prognostic capability, which served as a valuable tool for personalized clinical decision-making for patients with HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Xu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Dongxu Zhao
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Pengcheng Tian
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiaan Ding
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhengyu Jiang
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guanyin Ni
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhongheng Hou
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Caifang Ni
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China
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Bozkurt A, Toker GD, Erkilic M. A personalized Monte Carlo study of tumor and critical organ doses for trans-arterial radioembolization patients. Phys Med Biol 2023; 68:195016. [PMID: 37678259 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/acf7a7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Trans-arterial radioembolization (TARE) is an intra-arterial treatment method for liver malignancies. In this procedure, the therapeutic tumor dose is significant for predicting the treatment effectiveness while the dose absorbed in an organ at risk provides an understanding of its tolerance to radiation. This study proposes a Monte Carlo (MC) approach for determining absorbed organ doses for patients undergoing TARE treatment. The technique is based on the use of a voxel-based partial body model generated for each patient from his/her anatomical image data to represent the critical body structures more realistically. These structures are first segmented from image slices to create an image block which is then incorporated into a radiation transport package (MCNP6.2) to perform MC simulations. When used along with the parameters specific to a patient's treatment, such as lung-shunt factor, tumor-to-normal liver ratio, fractional uptakes, and administered activity, this approach allowed more accurate simulation of radiation interactions and hence provided absorbed doses specific to a TARE patient. The MC method also calculated the absorbed doses in organs or tissues that were close to target tissues for which the Medical Internal Radiation Dose Committee (MIRD) formalism makes no predictions. MIRD calculations were found to overestimate the absorbed doses by as much as 11% in lungs, 5% in liver, and 20% in tumor volumes. This raises concerns about the treatment's efficacy when estimating the correct activity to be administered to a patient. When each patient simulation was repeated with a90Y source spectrum to reflect the distribution of varying beta energies, the liver and the lungs were observed to receive relatively lower doses than those obtained with monoenergetic beta particles. Thus, it can be stated that the approach adopted in this study offers a more precise model of the patient's critical tissues and serves as a personalized dosimetric tool for TARE treatment planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmet Bozkurt
- Division of Computational Science and Engineering, Informatics Institute, Istanbul Technical University, 34467 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Gul Demir Toker
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Metin Erkilic
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey
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Kim JH, Kim JH, Yoon HK, Ko GY, Shin JH, Gwon DI, Ko HK, Chu HH, Kim SH, Kim GH, Kim Y, Aljerdah S. Transarterial chemoembolization for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma without macrovascular invasion or extrahepatic metastasis: analysis of factors prognostic of clinical outcomes. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1072922. [PMID: 37346065 PMCID: PMC10281503 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1072922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives To evaluate the safety and efficacy of TACE and factors predicting survival in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) without macrovascular invasion (MVI) or extrahepatic spread (EHS). Methods This single-center retrospective study included 236 treatment-naïve patients who underwent TACE as first-line treatment for advanced HCC without MVI or EHS between January 2007 and December 2021. Results Following TACE, the median overall survival (OS) was 24 months. Multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed that tumor number ≥4 (risk point: 3), maximal tumor size >10 cm (risk point: 2), Child-Pugh class B (risk point: 2), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) concentration ≥400 ng/mL (risk point: 2), and presence of HCC rupture (risk point: 2) were risk factors significantly associated with OS. The expected median OS among patients with <2, 2-4, and 5-9 risk points were 72, 29, and 12 months respectively. The major complication rates were significantly lower in patients with maximal tumor size ≤10 cm than in those with maximal tumor size >10 cm (4% [5/138] vs 21% [21/98], p = 0.001). Conclusion TACE may be safe and effective in selected patients with advanced HCC without MVI or EHS, with a median OS of 24 months. Patients with limited tumor burden, compensated liver function, absence of HCC rupture, and favorable biologic markers may benefit the most from TACE. TACE is not recommended for patients with huge HCCs (>10 cm) because of its high rate of major complications (21%).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Hoon Kim
- Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Songpa-Gu, Republic of Korea
- Ajou University Hospital, College of Medicine, Ajou University, Najran, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jin Hyoung Kim
- Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Songpa-Gu, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Ki Yoon
- Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Songpa-Gu, Republic of Korea
| | - Gi-Young Ko
- Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Songpa-Gu, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Hoon Shin
- Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Songpa-Gu, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Il Gwon
- Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Songpa-Gu, Republic of Korea
| | - Heung-Kyu Ko
- Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Songpa-Gu, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee Ho Chu
- Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Songpa-Gu, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong Ho Kim
- Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Songpa-Gu, Republic of Korea
| | - Gun Ha Kim
- Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Songpa-Gu, Republic of Korea
| | - Yonghun Kim
- Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Songpa-Gu, Republic of Korea
| | - Shakir Aljerdah
- College of Medicine, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia
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Koza A, Bhogal RH, Fotiadis N, Mavroeidis VK. The Role of Ablative Techniques in the Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Indications and Outcomes. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11041062. [PMID: 37189680 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11041062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains complex and will continue to rely on the multidisciplinary input of hepatologists, surgeons, radiologists, oncologists and radiotherapists. With the appropriate staging of patients and selection of suitable treatments, the outcomes for HCC are improving. Surgical treatments encompassing both liver resection and orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) are the definitive curative-intent options. However, patient suitability, as well as organ availability, pose essential limitations. Consequently, non-surgical options, such as ablative techniques, play an increasingly important role, especially in small HCCs, where overall and disease-free survival can be comparable to surgical resection. Ablative techniques are globally recommended in recognised classification systems, showing increasingly promising results. Recent technical refinements, as well as the emerging use of robotic assistance, may expand the treatment paradigm to achieve improved oncological results. At present, in very early stage and early stage unresectable disease, percutaneous thermal ablation is considered the treatment of choice. Owing to their different features, various ablative techniques, including radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, cryotherapy ablation and irreversible electroporation, have been shown to confer different comparative advantages and applicability. We herein review the role of available ablative techniques in the current complex multidisciplinary management of HCC, with a main focus on the indications and outcomes, and discuss future perspectives.
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Selective Enhancing Blood Flow in Solid Tumor Tissue Is the Key for Achieving Satisfactory Delivery and Therapeutic Outcome of Nanodrugs via the EPR Effect. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12111802. [PMID: 36579542 PMCID: PMC9697866 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12111802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The enhanced permeability and retention effect (EPR effect) is a crucial phenomenon for understanding the pathophysiological characteristics of blood vasculature and microenvironments in solid tumors. It is also an essential concept for designing anticancer drugs that can be selectively delivered into tumor tissue via the unique extravasation and retention mechanism for macromolecular drugs. As tumor vasculature is highly heterogeneous, the intensities of the EPR effect vary according to the types and locations of solid tumors in different species. However, the EPR effect is universally observed in a broad spectrum of solid tumors in human cancer as well as experimental animal tumor models. The matter is how to utilize the EPR effect for drug design and clinical application. Many hypotheses were proposed and tested to enhance the EPR effect in solid tumors in order to increase the efficacy of drug delivery. However, we should focus on increasing the blood flow in tumors so that more drugs can be perfused and accumulated inside tumor tissue and execute anticancer activities. Angiotensin II co-administration and the approach of intratumor arterial infusion should be considered to achieve selective tumor tissue perfusion for nanodrugs.
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Arai Y, Helmberger T, White S, J.Zech C. The challenge of liver tumors for interventional oncology: past, present and future - introductory editorial. Br J Radiol 2022; 95:20229005. [PMID: 36129133 PMCID: PMC9815743 DOI: 10.1259/bjr.20229005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yasuaki Arai
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Thomas Helmberger
- Department of Radiology, Neuroradiology, and Minimal-Invasive Therapy at Munich Klinik, Bogenhausen, Germany
| | - Sarah White
- Department of Radiology, Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Christoph J.Zech
- Section Interventional Radiology, Radiology und Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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