SEER-based risk stratification system for patients with primary non-cirrhotic liver cancer

BACKGROUND

Little research has been done on the factors affecting the survival of patients with non-cirrhotic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC-NCL). Our aim was to develop and validate a nomogram and a new risk stratification system that can evaluate overall survival (OS) in HCC-NCL patients.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from 2010 to 2019 to study HCC-NCL patients. The patients were randomly split into training and validation groups at a 7:3 ratio and subjected to single-factor and multi-factor COX regression analysis. We then developed a nomogram and evaluated its accuracy and clinical validity using time-dependent ROC, DCA, and calibration curves. We compared the nomogram with the AJCC staging system by calculating C-index, NRI, and IDI. Finally, we used Kaplan-Meier curves to compare the nomogram and AJCC staging. These analyses were performed without altering the original intended meaning.

RESULTS

AFP levels, surgical intervention, T-stage, tumor size, and M-stage were independent prognostic indicators for overall survival among the HCC-NCL population studied. We developed a nomogram based on these factors, and time-dependent ROC, calibration curves, DCA analyses, and C-index proved its accuracy. Compared to the AJCC staging system, the nomogram showed better prognostic accuracy through time-dependent ROC, DCA analyses, C-index, NRI, IDI, and Kaplan-Meier curves.

CONCLUSION

We have developed and validated a survival nomogram applicable to HCC-NCL patients, with risk stratification. Our nomogram offers personalized treatment and management options superior to those provided by the AJCC staging system.

An Overview of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Surveillance Focusing on Non-Cirrhotic NAFLD Patients: A Challenge for Physicians

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of liver disease worldwide and it ranges from simple steatosis to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC represents the first liver tumor and the third source of cancer death. In the next few years, the prevalence of NAFLD and consequently of HCC is estimated to increase, becoming a major public health problem. The NAFLD-HCC shows several differences compared to other causes of chronic liver disease (CLD), including the higher percentage of patients that develop HCC in the absence of liver cirrhosis. In HCC surveillance, the international guidelines suggest a six months abdominal ultrasound (US), with or without alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) evaluation, in patients with cirrhosis and in a subgroup of patients with chronic hepatitis B infection. However, this screening program reveals several limitations, especially in NAFLD patients. Thus, new biomarkers and scores have been proposed to overcome the limits of HCC surveillance. In this narrative review we aimed to explore the differences in the HCC features between NAFLD and non-NAFLD patients, and those between NAFLD-HCC developed in the cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic liver. Finally, we focused on the limits of tumor surveillance in NAFLD patients, and we explored the new biomarkers for the early diagnosis of HCC.

Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Adults Without Cirrhosis: A Single-Institution Retrospective Review

Background

Although up to one in five cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurs in patients without cirrhosis, there is scarce literature characterizing non-cirrhotic HCC (NCHCC). Existing NCHCC research is primarily limited to surgical case series and there is a lack of data on unresectable NCHCC.

Aim

The purpose of this retrospective review was to compare the characteristics of unresectable NCHCC and cirrhotic hepatocellular carcinoma (CHCC).

Methods

A retrospective chart review of adult patients with unresectable HCC treated from 2007 to 2017 was performed at the University of Florida Shands Hospital. The data set was stratified into two cohorts: NCHCC and CHCC. Continuous variables were compared using Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests and Kruskal-Wallis rank-sum tests. Categorical variables were compared using Pearson's Chi-squared tests and Fisher's exact tests. Overall survival was explored utilizing the Kaplan-Meier and log-rank method.

Results

There were 1494 adult patients included in the final analysis, including 264 patients (17.7%) with NCHCC and 1230 patients (82.3%) with CHCC. Median age was 61.0 years old and median follow-up time was 30.2 months. NCHCC patients were older than CHCC patients (66.3 years vs 61.9 years; p < 0.0001). NHCC tumors were larger than CHCC tumors (7.92 ± 4.85 vs 4.38 ± 3.12 cm; p < 0.0001) and more likely to be associated with distant metastases (23.35% vs 15.91%; p = 0.0055). There was no difference in overall survival, with a median of 23.5 months in NCHCC and 22.4 months in CHCC (p = 0.9196).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that unresectable NCHCC and CHCC have unique characteristics but similar overall survival. To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest comparison of CHCC and NCHCC.

Survival of primary liver cancer for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in Australia

BACKGROUND

Survival for Primary Liver Cancer (PLC) has been investigated in Australia, but limited work has been conducted on the burden for people with different socioeconomic status, region of residence, causes of PLC, and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. This study aimed to cover this gap in the literature by investigating PLC survival with the aforementioned factors.

METHODS

This study linked four administrative datasets: Victorian Cancer Registry, Admitted Episodes Dataset, Emergency Minimum Dataset, and Death Index. The cohort was all cases with a PLC notification within the Victorian Cancer Registry between 01/01/2008 and 01/01/2016. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate survival probabilities and the log-rank test was used to compare the difference in survival between subgroups. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to explore factors associated with PLC survival.

RESULTS

The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 50.0%, 28.1% and 20.6%, respectively, with a median survival of 12.0 months (95% confidence interval (CI): 11.0 - 12.9 months). Higher survival was associated with younger age, hepatocellular carcinoma, and higher socio-economic status. People born in Asian, African, and American regions had higher survival than those born in Australia and New Zealand. Cases with viral hepatitis as an identified aetiology had higher survival than those whose PLC was related to alcohol consumption (hazard ratio=1.52, 95% CI: 1.19 - 1.96), diabetes and fatty liver disease (hazard ratio=1.35, 95% CI: 1.08 - 1.68).

CONCLUSION

Survival outcomes for people diagnosed with PLC were still poor and affected by many factors. Asian and African cases had better survival than Australian and New Zealand patients as PLC in Asian and African cases was mostly caused by viral hepatitis. Metropolitan areas were associated with a higher survival than rural areas, not only due to accessibility to surveillance and healthcare services but also because the majority of overseas-born patients reside in metropolitan areas.

Severe Hypercalcemia as an Initial Presentation of Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Case Report

Background

It is extremely rare for hypercalcemia to appear as the first symptom of hepatocellular carcinoma. Instead, it occurs primarily as a paraneoplastic manifestation after the disease is already diagnosed.

Methods

In this report, we describe a 55-year-old woman who presented with symptoms of acute severe hypercalcemia and was negative for hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis C virus antibodies.

Results

Laboratory tests confirmed hypercalcemia (serum calcium 16.2 mg/dL) with intact parathyroid hormone (2 pg/mL). Alpha-fetoprotein serum level was 3031.14 ng/mL. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography revealed a big vascularized mass of 7 × 5.5cm in diameter, occupying most of the right lobe of the liver.

Conclusion

Based on these findings, hepatocellular carcinoma may present late in disease progression with isolated hypercalcemia; therefore, HCC should be considered in the differential diagnosis in a hypercalcemic patient.

Hepatocellular carcinoma in the non-cirrhotic liver

Liver cirrhosis is an established high-risk factor for HCC and the majority of patients diagnosed with HCC have cirrhosis. However, HCC also arises in non-cirrhotic livers in approximately 20 %of all cases. HCC in non-cirrhotic patients is often clinically silent and surveillance is usually not recommended. HCC is often diagnosed at an advanced stage in these patients. Current information about HCC in patients with non-cirrhotic liver is limited. Here we review the current knowledge on epidemiology, clinical features and imaging features of those patiens.

Multimodal and systemic therapy with cabozantinib for treatment of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation: A case report with long term follow-up outcomes

RATIONALE

Recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after liver transplantation (LT) remains a major therapeutic challenge. In recent years, new molecular-targeted therapies, such as cabozantinib, have been approved for the treatment of advanced HCC. However, clinical experience with these new drugs in the treatment of HCC in the LT setting is very limited.

PATIENT CONCERNS

In 2003, a 36-year-old woman was referred to the hospital with right upper abdominal pain.

DIAGNOSIS

An initial ultrasound of the liver demonstrated a large unclear lesion of the left lobe of the liver. The magnet resonance imaging findings confirmed a multifocal inoperable HCC in a non-cirrhotic liver. Seven years after receiving a living donor LT, pulmonary and intra-hepatic recurrence of the HCC was radiologically diagnosed and histologically confirmed.

INTERVENTIONS

Following an interdisciplinary therapy concept consisting of surgical, interventional-radiological (with radiofrequency ablation [RFA]) as well as systemic treatment, the patient achieved a survival of more than 10 years after tumor recurrence. As systemic first line therapy with sorafenib was accompanied by grade 3 to 4 toxicities, such as mucositis, hand-foot skin reaction, diarrhea, liver dysfunction, and hyperthyroidism, it had to be discontinued. After switching to cabozantinib from June 2018 to April 2020, partial remission of all tumor manifestations was achieved. The treatment of the remaining liver metastasis could be completed by RFA. The therapy with cabozantinib was well tolerated, only mild arterial hypertension and grade 1 to 2 mucositis were observed. Liver transplant function was stable during the therapy, no drug interaction with immunosuppressive drugs was observed.

OUTCOMES

More than 10 years survival after recurrence of HCC after living-donor LT due to intensive multimodal therapy concepts, including surgery, RFA, and systemic therapy with cabozantinib in the second line therapy.

LESSONS

In conclusion, this report highlights the tolerability and effectiveness of cabozantinib for the treatment of HCC recurrence after LT. We show that our patient with a late recurrence of HCC after LT benefitted from intensive multimodal therapy concepts, including surgery, RFA, and systemic therapy.

Clinical Importance of Incidentally Detected Hyperenhancing Liver Observations on Portal Venous Phase Computed Tomography in Patients Without Known Malignancy or Liver Disease

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of clinically important masses among incidental hyperenhancing liver observations on portal venous phase computed tomography (CT) in patients without known malignancy or liver disease.

METHODS

Retrospective search of portal venous phase CTs was performed to identify hyperenhancing liver observations in patients without cancer or liver disease. Observations were assigned a morphology of homogeneous, hemangioma, or heterogeneous. The reference standard was pathology (n = 2), liver protocol CT/magnetic resonance imaging (n = 40), follow-up portal venous phase CT for 2 years or more (n = 81), or clinical follow-up for 5 years or more (n = 107).

RESULTS

There were no clinically important masses among 83 observations with homogeneous morphology or 110 with hemangioma morphology. There were 2 clinically important masses (1 hepatocellular carcinoma and 1 hepatic adenoma) among 37 (5.4%) heterogeneous morphology observations.

CONCLUSIONS

Incidental hyperenhancing liver observations on portal venous phase CT with homogeneous or typical hemangioma morphology in patients without known cancer or liver disease are highly likely benign.

Unusual presentation of hepatocellular carcinoma: Case report and review of literature

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary cancer of the liver and a major cause of mortality globally. Atypical presentation of HCC can present a diagnostic challenge. We, therefore, present a rare case of hepatocellular carcinoma fungating through the anterior abdominal wall with concomitant lung and brain metastases in a young patient with non-cirrhotic liver but positive chronic hepatitis B serology.

Non-cirrhotic hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic viral hepatitis: Current insights and advancements

Primary liver cancers carry significant morbidity and mortality. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) develops within the hepatic parenchyma and is the most common malignancy originating from the liver. Although 80% of HCCs develop within background cirrhosis, 20% may arise in a non-cirrhotic milieu and are referred to non-cirrhotic-HCC (NCHCC). NCHCC is often diagnosed late due to lack of surveillance. In addition, the rising prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and diabetes mellitus have increased the risk of developing HCC on non-cirrhotic patients. Viral infections such as chronic Hepatitis B and less often chronic hepatitis C with advance fibrosis are associated with NCHCC. NCHCC individuals may have Hepatitis B core antibodies and occult HBV infection, signifying the role of Hepatitis B infection in NCHCC. Given the effectiveness of current antiviral therapies, surgical techniques and locoregional treatment options, nowadays such patients have more options and potential for cure. However, these lesions need early identification with diagnostic models and multiple surveillance strategies to improve overall outcomes. Better understanding of the NCHCC risk factors, tumorigenesis, diagnostic tools and treatment options are critical to improving prognosis and overall outcomes on these patients. In this review, we aim to discuss NCHCC epidemiology, risk factors, and pathogenesis, and elaborate on NCHCC diagnosis and treatment strategies.

Application of the woodchuck animal model for the treatment of hepatitis B virus-induced liver cancer

This review describes woodchucks chronically infected with the woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) as an animal model for hepatocarcinogenesis and treatment of primary liver cancer or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) induced by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Since laboratory animal models susceptible to HBV infection are limited, woodchucks experimentally infected with WHV, a hepatitis virus closely related to HBV, are increasingly used to enhance our understanding of virus-host interactions, immune response, and liver disease progression. A correlation of severe liver pathogenesis with high-level viral replication and deficient antiviral immunity has been established, which are present during chronic infection after WHV inoculation of neonatal woodchucks for modeling vertical HBV transmission in humans. HCC in chronic carrier woodchucks develops 17 to 36 mo after neonatal WHV infection and involves liver tumors that are comparable in size, morphology, and molecular gene signature to those of HBV-infected patients. Accordingly, woodchucks with WHV-induced liver tumors have been used for the improvement of imaging and ablation techniques of human HCC. In addition, drug efficacy studies in woodchucks with chronic WHV infection have revealed that prolonged treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogs, alone or in combination with other compounds, minimizes the risk of liver disease progression to HCC. More recently, woodchucks have been utilized in the delineation of mechanisms involved in innate and adaptive immune responses against WHV during acute, self-limited and chronic infections. Therapeutic interventions based on modulating the deficient host antiviral immunity have been explored in woodchucks for inducing functional cure in HBV-infected patients and for reducing or even delaying associated liver disease sequelae, including the onset of HCC. Therefore, woodchucks with chronic WHV infection constitute a well-characterized, fully immunocompetent animal model for HBV-induced liver cancer and for preclinical evaluation of the safety and efficacy of new modalities, which are based on chemo, gene, and immune therapy, for the prevention and treatment of HCC in patients for which current treatment options are dismal.

Antitumor Effects of Triterpenes in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Triterpenes are a large group of secondary metabolites mainly produced by plants with a variety of biological activities, including potential antitumor effects. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a very common primary liver disease spread worldwide. The treatment can consist of surgical intervention, radiotherapy, immunotherapy and chemotherapeutic drugs. These drugs mainly include tyrosine multikinase inhibitors, although their use is limited by the underlying liver disease and displays side effects. For that reason, the utility of natural compounds such as triterpenes to treat HCC is an interesting line of research. No clinical studies are reported in humans so far.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present work is to review the knowledge about the effects of triterpenes as a possible coadjuvant tool to treat HCC.

RESULTS

In vitro and xenograft models have pointed out the cytotoxic and anti-proliferative effects as well as improvements in tumor growth and development of many triterpenes. In addition, they have also shown to be chemosensitizing agents when co-administered with chemotherapeutic agents. The mechanisms of action are diverse and involve the participation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, including JNK, p38 MAPK and ERK, and the survival-associated PI3K / Akt signaling pathway. However, no clinical studies are still reported in humans.

CONCLUSION

Triterpenes could become a future strategy to address HCC or at least improve results when administered in combination with chemotherapeutic agents.

[State of the art in the diagnostics of hepatocellular carcinoma and current treatment options]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent primary hepatic malignancy and arises most often based on liver cirrhosis. Of the HCC 80-85% demonstrate a typical contrast medium behavior in imaging, characterized by arterial hypervascularization followed by wash-out in the portal or late venous phase. This specific contrast behavior is diagnostic for HCC in patients at risk. The use of liver-specific contrast agents increases the sensitivity for diagnosis of HCC and can facilitate the differentiation from other liver lesions. At initial diagnosis approximately 50% of HCC are solitary, 40% multifocal and 10% diffuse. Depending on the tumor extent and stage, therapeutic options in patients with HCC include local treatment (resection, ablation, radiation, liver transplantation), locoregional measures (transarterial chemoembolization, selective internal radiotherapy) or systemic therapy (including immunotherapy), either as a stand-alone procedure or in various combinations.

Hepatocellular carcinoma in non-cirrhotic versus cirrhotic liver: a clinico-radiological comparative analysis

AIM

To compare clinico-radiological pattern of non-cirrhotic versus cirrhotic HCC and correlate them with histopathological tumor grade.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This prospective study was carried out on 94 patients enrolled following ultrasound diagnosis of a liver mass measuring > 3 cm. Multiphasic MDCT was performed on all treatment-naïve cases and 56 cases with imaging pattern consistent with unifocal HCC were selected. Background liver parenchyma was assessed on ultrasound for cirrhosis and NAFLD. Cases were categorized into cirrhotic liver (CL) and non-cirrhotic liver (NCL) groups with 26 and 30 cases, respectively, and guided biopsy of each liver mass was performed. AFP levels were compared in both groups. Serum markers for hepatitis B and C were assessed. Masses in both groups were compared for morphology, attenuation on each phase and washout time. Presence of capsule, corona enhancement, satellite nodules and portal vein invasion was noted.

RESULTS

AFP level was higher in CL group. HBV serum marker was raised in both groups. Most HCCs in NCL were moderately differentiated (histopathology), larger, had well-defined margins, showed mosaic pattern of enhancement, complete capsule and delayed phase washout. Majority in CL group were poorly differentiated, smaller, had ill-defined margins, showed heterogeneous enhancement, absent capsule and portal venous phase washout. Time of washout correlated with histopathological differentiation of masses, with earlier washout indicating poorer differentiation.

CONCLUSION

HCCs in NCL have different clinico-radiological characteristics than HCCs in CL. Time of contrast washout correlates with histopathological grade of HCC. Non-cirrhotic NAFLD may require formulation of new screening guidelines for HCC.

Delayed response to proton beam treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has become one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. There has been anecdotal report regarding the effectiveness of proton beam treatment for HCC. In this pre-clinical investigation, the woodchuck model of viral hepatitis infection-induced HCC was used for proton beam treatment experiment. The radiopaque fiducial markers that are biodegradable were injected around the tumor under ultrasound guidance to facilitate positioning in sequential treatments. An α cradle mode was used to ensure reproducibility of animal positioning on the treatment couch. A CT scan was performed first for contouring by a radiation oncologist. The CT data set with contours was then exported for dose planning. Three fractionations, each 750 CcGyE, were applied every other day with a Mevion S250 passive scattering proton therapy system. Multiphase contrast-enhanced CT scans were performed after the treatment and at later times for follow-ups. 3 weeks post-treatment, shrinking of the HCC nodule was detected and constituted to a partial response (30% reduction along the long axis). By week nine after treatment, the nodule disappeared during the arterial phase of multiphase contrast-enhanced CT scan. Pathological evaluation corroborated with this imaging response. A delayed, but complete imaging response to proton beam treatment applied to HCC was achieved with this unique and clinically relevant animal model of HCC.

Comparison of clinical manifestations and outcomes of noncirrhotic and cirrhotic hepatocellular carcinoma patients with chronic hepatitis B

AIM

The differences of the clinical features and survival outcomes between cirrhotic and noncirrhotic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remain to be determined. We evaluated clinical characteristics and survival outcomes of noncirrhotic HBV-associated HCC patients compared with cirrhotic patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between January 2005 and December 2015, 1345 patients were diagnosed to have HCC at our hospital. Of these, 860 HBV-associated HCC patients with (cirrhotic group, n = 519, 60.3%) or without cirrhosis (noncirrhotic group, n = 341, 39.7%) were retrospectively analyzed. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to adjust for differences between the two groups.

RESULTS

The noncirrhotic group had lower Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) classes and greater tumor sizes and were less likely to have portal vein thrombosis than the cirrhotic group. Age and sex were not significantly different between the two groups. Cumulative overall survival (OS) rates at 2, 4, 6, and 8 years after treatment were significantly higher in the noncirrhotic group (67.2, 57.1, 43.2, and 38.3 vs. 58.3, 41.3, 33.2, and 27.8%, respectively, P < 0.001). However, no significant intergroup difference in OS rates was observed after PSM (P = 0.680). Significant predictive factors of OS were CTP class, tumor size, tumor number, and curative-intended treatment for the noncirrhotic group, and serum alanine aminotransferase, CTP class, tumor size, tumor number, and curative-intended treatment for the cirrhotic group.

CONCLUSION

After PSM, cumulative OS rates were similar between HBV-related HCC patients with and without cirrhosis, and they were clearly dependent on CTP class, regardless of the presence of cirrhosis itself both in cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients.

Comparison of survival outcomes of alcohol-related hepatocellular carcinoma with or without liver cirrhosis; a ten-year experience

We evaluated overall survivals (OSs) of alcohol-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients without LC compared to those with LC.Between 2005 and 2015, 1343 patients were initially diagnosed as having HCC in our hospital. Of these, 186 alcohol-related HCC patients were enrolled in this study, and their medical records were retrospectively analyzed. Significant alcohol intake was defined as more than 210 grams/week for men and more than 140 grams/week for women.Non-cirrhotic HCC was observed in 37.1% of the 186 patients. Cumulative OS rates were significantly higher in non-cirrhotic patients (P = .006). For the 117 cirrhotic patients, cumulative OS rate was significantly higher in the CTP class A patients than in the CTP class B (P < .001) or CTP class C (P < .001) patients, respectively. In the 69 non-cirrhotic patients, cumulative OS rate was significantly higher in the CTP class A patients than in the CTP class C patients (P < .001), but, not than in the CTP class B patients (P = .157). Multivariate analyses revealed that CTP class B (P < .001), CTP class C (P < .001), and tumor size (P = .006) were significant predictors for OS in cirrhotic patients, and that CTP class C (P = .002) and tumor size (P = .023) were significant predictors for OS in non-cirrhotic patients.OS was found to be better for non-cirrhotic than cirrhotic patients with alcohol-related HCC. Survivals of alcohol-related HCC patients without cirrhosis were comparable between patients with CTP class A and B.

[Salvage liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze clinical course and the results of salvage liver transplantation in patients with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after liver resection.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A 54-year-old man with HCV-infection and HCC and 22-year-old woman with fibrolamellar variant of HCC underwent resection of the right and left liver lobe, respectively. The first patient experienced recurrent HCC four times with an interval of 3-6 months within 2 years after surgery. Repeated liver resection was made in first three cases, right liver lobe transplantation - after the fourth recurrence. In the second patient, HCC recurred in 4 months after resection and was accompanied by subtotal portal vein thrombosis. Therefore, repeated liver resection was excluded and patient underwent right liver lobe transplantation.

RESULTS

Patients are alive in 5 and 3.5 years after liver resection and in 2.5 and 3 years after transplantation, respectively. There are currently no signs of recurrent HCC in the graft.

Hepatocellular carcinoma in the noncirrhotic liver: a literature review

Development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is usually preceded by chronic liver injury and ongoing liver diseases. Liver cirrhosis reflects the outcome of long-term liver injury and is associated with an increased risk of developing HCC. However, HCC also arises in individuals without cirrhosis and bears several characteristics distinct from HCC in the cirrhotic liver. The molecular characteristics, prognosis, and surveillance of noncirrhotic HCC have not been adequately studied. In this review, we update readers and researchers in the field with the latest understanding of the epidemiology, etiology, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment strategies, prognosis, and surveillance of noncirrhotic HCC.

Outcomes and Quality of Life of Systemic Therapy in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide; most patients are diagnosed with advanced disease for which there is no known cure. Tremendous progress has been made over the past decade in the development of new agents for HCC, including small-molecule kinase inhibitors such as sorafenib, lenvatinib, cabozantinib, regorafenib, and monoclonal antibodies like ramucirumab, nivolumab, and pembrolizumab. Ideal use of these agents in clinics has improved the long-term outcome of patients with advanced HCC as well as introduced unique toxicities that can affect quality of life. These toxicities usually are thought to be partially related to cirrhosis, a major risk factor for the development of HCC and a pathophysiological barrier complicating the optimal delivery of antineoplastic therapy. Additionally, side effects of medications together with advanced HCC symptoms not only decrease quality of life, but also cause treatment interruptions and dose reductions that can potentially decrease efficacy. Physicians caring for patients with advanced HCC are called to optimally manage HCC along with cirrhosis in order to prolong life while at the same time preserve the quality of life. In this review, we aimed to summarize outcomes and quality of life with the use of modern systemic treatments in advanced HCC and provide a physician reference for treatment toxicity and cirrhosis management.

Diagnostic performance of Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) v2017 in predicting malignant liver lesions in pediatric patients: a preliminary study

BACKGROUND

Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) has standardized the evaluation of hepatic lesions in adults at risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). There is no accepted imaging algorithm for diagnosing HCC in the pediatric population.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and inter-rater reliability of LI-RADS version 2017 (v2017) for diagnosing HCC in a pediatric cohort.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective, Institutional Review Board-approved study involved review of all abdominal dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging at a tertiary children's hospital during a 10-year period, yielding 151 liver lesions in patients <18 years. Cases with active extrahepatic malignancy or an inadequate reference standard were excluded. Two readers independently evaluated all included hepatic lesions using LI-RADS criteria. Pathology and imaging follow-up were used as reference standards.

RESULTS

A total of 41 lesions in 41 patients met criteria for evaluation (3 HCCs, 8 non-HCC malignancies, 30 benign lesions). A LI-RADS designation of definite HCC had high sensitivity (Reader 1/Reader 2: 100%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 31-100%) and high specificity (Reader 1: 84%, 95% CI: 68-93%; Reader 2: 97%, 95% CI: 85-100%) for predicting HCC. However, positive predictive value was only 33% (95% CI: 9-69%) and 75% (95% CI: 22-99%) for Reader 1 and Reader 2, respectively. For predicting any type of hepatic malignancy, a LI-RADS designation of definitely or likely malignant (i.e. not necessarily HCC) had a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI: 74-100%) and 90% (95% CI: 61-100%) for Reader 1 and Reader 2, respectively, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 100% (95% CI: 81-100%) and 96% (95% CI: 83-99%) for Reader 1 and Reader 2, respectively. Interobserver agreement was substantial for the overall LI-RADS category (weighted κ=0.62; 95% CI: 0.38-0.86).

CONCLUSION

The positive predictive value of LI-RADS v2017 for diagnosing HCC was limited by the low frequency of HCC among pediatric patients. However, a LI-RADS designation of definitely or likely malignant had high sensitivity and NPV for any type of hepatic malignancy and may serve to direct clinical management by selecting patients for tissue sampling.

Hepatocellular carcinoma in non-cirrhotic liver: A comprehensive review

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer, which in turns accounts for the sixth most common cancer worldwide. Despite being the 6^th most common cancer it is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths. HCC typically arises in the background of cirrhosis, however, about 20% of cases can develop in a non-cirrhotic liver. This particular subgroup of HCC generally presents at an advanced stage as surveillance is not performed in a non-cirrhotic liver. HCC in non-cirrhotic patients is clinically silent in its early stages because of lack of symptoms and surveillance imaging; and higher hepatic reserve in this population. Interestingly, F3 fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infections are associated with high risk of developing HCC. Even though considerable progress has been made in the management of this entity, there is a dire need for implementation of surveillance strategies in the patient population at risk, to decrease the disease burden at presentation and improve the prognosis of these patients. This comprehensive review details the epidemiology, risk factors, clinical features, diagnosis and management of HCC in non-cirrhotic patients and provides future directions for research.

Carcinogenesis on the background of liver fibrosis: Implications for the management of hepatocellular cancer

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is now the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally and many patients have incurable disease. HCC predominantly occurs in the setting of liver cirrhosis and is a paradigm for inflammation-induced cancer. The causes of chronic liver disease promote the development of transformed or premalignant hepatocytes and predisposes to the development of HCC. For HCC to grow and progress it is now clear that it requires an immunosuppressive niche within the fibrogenic microenvironment of cirrhosis. The rationale for targeting this immunosuppression is supported by responses seen in recent trials with checkpoint inhibitors. With the impact of immunotherapy, HCC progression may be delayed and long term durable responses may be seen. This makes the management of the underlying liver cirrhosis in HCC even more crucial as studies demonstrate that measures of liver function are a major prognostic factor in HCC. In this review, we discuss the development of cancer in the setting of liver inflammation and fibrosis, reviewing the microenvironment that leads to this tumourigenic climate and the implications this has for patient management.

Generic chemoprevention of hepatocellular carcinoma

Chronic fibrotic liver disease caused by viral or metabolic etiologies is a high-risk condition for developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Even after curative treatment of early-stage HCC tumor, the carcinogenic microenvironment persists in the remnant diseased liver and supports the development of de novo HCC tumors (de novo HCC recurrence). Therefore, prevention of HCC development in patients at risk of not only first-primary but also second-primary HCC tumors is theoretically the most impactful strategy to improve patient prognosis. However, no such therapy has been established to date. One major challenge is the identification of clinically relevant targets that can be achieved by utilizing the reverse-engineering strategy of chemoprevention discovery, which integrates omics information from clinical cohorts with completed follow-up for cancer development. Clinical and experimental studies have suggested etiology-specific and generic candidate HCC chemoprevention strategies, including statins, antidiabetic drugs, selective molecular targeted agents, and dietary and nutritional substances. Clinical testing of the candidate compounds can be cost-effectively performed by combining it with HCC risk biomarker evaluation to specify the target patient population most likely to benefit from the therapy. Nontoxic, generic agents will have broad clinical applicability across the diverse HCC etiologies and clinical contexts and are expected to substantially improve the still dismal prognosis of HCC.

Is there an optimal staging system or liver reserve model that can predict outcome in hepatocellular carcinoma?

Background

Many staging systems and liver reserve models have been proposed to predict hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis. However, there is no consensus as to which model provides the best prognostic value. We aimed to investigate the prognostic role of 8 noninvasive models including the albumin-bilirubin index (ALBI), AST to platelet ratio index (APRI), Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC), Cancer of the Liver Italian Program (CLIP) system, Child-Pugh (CP) class, Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score, model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, and platelet-albumin-bilirubin index (PALBI) in patients with HCC.

Methods

This is a retrospective study of 900 HCC patients. Patients who underwent transplantation were excluded. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the survival probabilities. Multivariate cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate the survival trend. P<0.05 was considered significant. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was calculated to test the discriminatory power over 1- and 3-year mortality and recurrence.

Results

For predicting 1- and 3-year mortality, the CLIP score provided the highest AUC value, followed by the BCLC stage and the PALBI grade. For predicting 3-year recurrence, the CLIP score demonstrated the highest discriminative power followed by the PALBI grade, ALBI grade and BCLC system. However, all included models were found to be poor predictors for recurrence.

Conclusions

The CLIP score is more accurate prognostic model to predict mortality and recurrence than the BCLC stage. Regarding the liver reserve models, the PALBI is the most accurate prognostic models among 6 models to predict mortality and recurrence.

Liver clear cell foci and viral infection are associated with non-cirrhotic, non-fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma in young patients from South America

We previously described a divergent clinical and molecular presentation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Peru. The present study aimed to further characterize the tissue features associated with this singular nosological form of HCC in order to gain insight into the natural history of the disease. We performed an exploratory analysis of the histology of both tumor and non-tumor liver (NTL) tissues from 50 Peruvian HCC patients, and compared with that of 75 individuals with non-HCC liver tumor or benign liver lesions as a baseline for NTL features. We complemented this approach with a transcriptome analysis in a subset of NTL tissue samples and also performed an ultra-sensitive hepatitis B virus (HBV) detection in liver tissues of the patients. Overall, results highlighted the low rate of liver parenchymal alterations in a young patient cohort (median age: 40 years old), despite a strong prevalence of underlying HBV infection (c. 67%). Withal, liver clear cell foci of cellular alteration were genuinely associated with HCC and appended to some changes in immune and G protein-coupled receptor gene expression ontologies. Our findings confirm the occurrence of a particular setting of HCC in South America, a region where the pathophysiology of liver cancer remains largely unexplored.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of malignant liver lesions

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a safe, relatively inexpensive, and widely available imaging technique using dedicated imaging ultrasound sequences and FDA-approved contrast microbubbles that allow detection and characterization of malignant focal liver lesions with high diagnostic accuracy. CEUS provides dynamic real-time imaging with high spatial and temporal capability, allowing for unique contributions to the already established protocols for diagnosing focal liver lesions using CT and MR imaging. In patients with lesions indeterminate on CT and MRI, CEUS is a helpful problem-solving complementary tool that improves patient management. Furthermore, CEUS assists guidance of liver biopsies and local treatment. Variations of CEUS such as DCE-US and ultrasound molecular imaging are emerging for quantitative monitoring of treatment effects and possible earlier detection of cancer. In this review, basic principles of CEUS techniques and ultrasound contrast agents along with a description of the enhancement patterns of malignant liver lesions are summarized. Also, a discussion of the role of CEUS for treatment guidance and monitoring, intraoperative CEUS, and an outlook on emerging applications is provided.

p53 as a Dichotomous Regulator of Liver Disease: The Dose Makes the Medicine

Lifestyle-related disorders, such as the metabolic syndrome, have become a primary risk factor for the development of liver pathologies that can progress from hepatic steatosis, hepatic insulin resistance, steatohepatitis, fibrosis and cirrhosis, to the most severe condition of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While the prevalence of liver pathologies is steadily increasing in modern societies, there are currently no approved drugs other than chemotherapeutic intervention in late stage HCC. Hence, there is a pressing need to identify and investigate causative molecular pathways that can yield new therapeutic avenues. The transcription factor p53 is well established as a tumor suppressor and has recently been described as a central metabolic player both in physiological and pathological settings. Given that liver is a dynamic tissue with direct exposition to ingested nutrients, hepatic p53, by integrating cellular stress response, metabolism and cell cycle regulation, has emerged as an important regulator of liver homeostasis and dysfunction. The underlying evidence is reviewed herein, with a focus on clinical data and animal studies that highlight a direct influence of p53 activity on different stages of liver diseases. Based on current literature showing that activation of p53 signaling can either attenuate or fuel liver disease, we herein discuss the hypothesis that, while hyper-activation or loss of function can cause disease, moderate induction of hepatic p53 within physiological margins could be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of liver pathologies. Hence, stimuli that lead to a moderate and temporary p53 activation could present new therapeutic approaches through several entry points in the cascade from hepatic steatosis to HCC.

Operable synchronous ampullary carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma: a case report and review of the literature

We report a rare case of synchronous double primary malignancies of the liver and ampulla. A 70-year-old white female was diagnosed with ampullary and hepatocellular carcinoma. The management and outcome of this rare case of synchronous double primary hepatic and periampullary malignancies, amenable to surgical resection is discussed.

Primary malignant tumours in the non-cirrhotic liver

Intrahepatic chlangiocarcinomas (CCs), the second most common primary malignant liver tumours, usually occur in non-cirrhotic liver, and can be classified into three types based on gross morphology: mass-forming; periductal infiltrating; and intraductal growing. Among them, mass-forming intrahepatic CCs are the most common type and characterized by homogeneous mass with an irregular but well-defined margin with peripheral enhancement on late arterial phase and delayed enhancement in central portion of tumours corresponding to the fibrous stroma. Several imaging features such as enhancement pattern and degree of diffusion restriction have been suggested as prognostic markers for mass-forming CCs. Hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) are the most common primary malignant liver tumors, and usually arise from the cirrhotic liver. However, approximately 20% of HCCs involve the non-cirrhotic liver (hereafter, non-cirrhotic HCC), and non-cirrhotic HCCs are often detected at an advanced stage due to the lack of surveillance for patients with non-cirrhotic liver. Other primary malignant liver tumours other than CCs and HCCs including angiosarcoma, undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma are quite rare, and imaging diagnosis is often difficult. This review offers a brief overview of epidemiology, risk factors and imaging features of primary malignant tumours in non-cirrhotic liver. Understanding of radiologic appearance and predisposing clinical features as well as differentials of primary malignant tumour in non-cirrhotic liver can be helpful for radiologists to adequately assess these tumours, and subsequently to make optimal management plan.

Activation of PERK-Nrf2 oncogenic signaling promotes Mdm2-mediated Rb degradation in persistently infected HCV culture

The mechanism of how chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection leads to such a high rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unknown. We found that the PERK axis of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress elicited prominent nuclear translocation of Nrf2 in 100% of HCV infected hepatocytes. The sustained nuclear translocation of Nrf2 in chronically infected culture induces Mdm2-mediated retinoblastoma protein (Rb) degradation. Silencing PERK and Nrf2 restored Mdm2-mediated Rb degradation, suggesting that sustained activation of PERK/Nrf2 axis creates oncogenic stress in chronically infected HCV culture model. The activation of Nrf2 and its nuclear translocation were prevented by ER-stress and PERK inhibitors, suggesting that PERK axis is involved in the sustained activation of Nrf2 signaling during chronic HCV infection. Furthermore, we show that HCV clearance induced by interferon-α based antiviral normalized the ER-stress response and prevented nuclear translocation of Nrf2, whereas HCV clearance by DAAs combination does neither. In conclusion, we report here a novel mechanism for how sustained activation of PERK axis of ER-stress during chronic HCV infection activates oncogenic Nrf2 signaling that promotes hepatocyte survival and oncogenesis by inducing Mdm2-mediated Rb degradation.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Primary Hepatic Malignancies in Patients With and Without Chronic Liver Disease: A Pictorial Review

Primary hepatic malignancies are less common than metastatic diseases, but a recognition of these lesions is important for diagnosis and treatment planning. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides the most imaging information to diagnose lesions noninvasively and to narrow differential diagnoses. This paper reviews the imaging findings of chronic liver disease and primary hepatic malignancies, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, hepatic angiosarcoma, and primary hepatic lymphoma. Clinical and MRI features are reviewed to improve the readers’ recognition of these tumors, allowing for a narrower differential diagnosis when liver masses are encountered on abdominal imaging.

Management of people with early- or very early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma: an attempted network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (primary liver cancer) is classified in many ways. The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) group staging classifies the cancer based on patient's life expectancy. People with very early- or early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma have single tumour or three tumours of maximum diameter of 3 cm or less, Child-Pugh status A to B, and performance status 0 (fully functional). Management of hepatocellular carcinoma is uncertain.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the comparative benefits and harms of different interventions used in the treatment of early or very early hepatocellular carcinoma through a network meta-analysis and to generate rankings of the available interventions according to their safety and efficacy. However, it was not possible to assess whether the potential effect modifiers were similar across different comparisons. Therefore, we did not perform the network meta-analysis and instead assessed the benefits and harms of different interventions versus each other or versus sham or no intervention using standard Cochrane methodology.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, Science Citation Index Expanded, and trials registers to September 2016 to identify randomised clinical trials (RCTs) on hepatocellular carcinoma.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included only RCTs, irrespective of language, blinding, or publication status, in participants with very early- or early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma, irrespective of the presence of cirrhosis, portal hypertension, aetiology of hepatocellular carcinoma, size and number of the tumours, and future remnant liver volume. We excluded trials including participants who were previously liver transplanted. We considered interventions compared with each other, sham, or no intervention.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We calculated the odds ratio, mean difference, rate ratio, or hazard ratio with 95% confidence intervals using both fixed-effect and random-effects models based on available-participant analysis with Review Manager 5. We assessed the risk of bias according to Cochrane, controlled risk of random errors with Trial Sequential Analysis using Stata, and the quality of the evidence using GRADE.

MAIN RESULTS

Eighteen trials met the inclusion criteria for this review. Four trials (593 participants; 574 participants included for one or more analyses) compared surgery versus radiofrequency ablation in people with early hepatocellular carcinoma, eligible to undergo surgery. Fourteen trials (2533 participants; 2494 participants included for various analyses) compared different non-surgical interventions in people with early hepatocellular carcinoma, not eligible to undergo surgery. Overall, the quality of evidence was low or very low for all outcomes for both comparisons. Surgery versus radiofrequency ablationThe majority of participants had cirrhotic livers, and the hepatocellular carcinoma was of viral aetiology. The trials did not report the participants' portal hypertension status or whether they received adjuvant antiviral treatment or adjuvant immunotherapy. The average follow-up ranged from 29 months to 42 months (3 trials).There was no evidence of a difference in all-cause mortality at maximal follow-up for surgery versus radiofrequency ablation (hazard ratio 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.60 to 1.08; 574 participants; 4 trials; I² = 68). Cancer-related mortality was lower in the surgery group (20/115 (17.4%)) than in the radiofrequency ablation group (43/115 (37.4%)) (odds ratio 0.35, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.65; 230 participants; 1 trial). Serious adverse events (number of participants) was higher in the surgery group (14/60 (23.3%)) than in the radiofrequency ablation group (1/60 (1.7%)) (odds ratio 17.96, 95% CI 2.28 to 141.60; 120 participants; 1 trial). The number of serious adverse events was higher in the surgery group (adjusted rate 11.3 events per 100 participants) than in the radiofrequency ablation group (3/186 (1.6 events per 100 participants)) (rate ratio 7.02, 95% CI 2.29 to 21.46; 391 participants; 2 trials; I² = 0%). None of the trials reported health-related quality of life. One trial was funded by a party with vested interests; three trials were funded by parties without any vested. Non-surgical interventionsThe majority of participants had cirrhotic livers, and the hepatocellular carcinoma was of viral aetiology. Most trials did not report the portal hypertension status of the participants, and none of the trials reported whether the participants received adjuvant antiviral treatment or adjuvant immunotherapy. The average follow-up ranged from 6 months to 37 months (11 trials). Trial participants, who were not eligible for surgery, were treated with radiofrequency ablation, laser ablation, microwave ablation, percutaneous acetic acid injection, percutaneous alcohol injection, a combination of radiofrequency ablation with systemic chemotherapy, a combination of radiofrequency ablation with percutaneous alcohol injection, a combination of transarterial chemoembolisation with percutaneous alcohol injection, or a combination of transarterial chemoembolisation with radiofrequency ablation.The mortality at maximal follow-up was higher in the percutaneous acetic acid injection (hazard ratio 1.77, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.79; 125 participants; 1 trial) and percutaneous alcohol injection (hazard ratio 1.49, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.88; 882 participants; 5 trials; I² = 57%) groups compared with the radiofrequency ablation group. There was no evidence of a difference in all-cause mortality at maximal follow-up for any of the other comparisons. The proportion of people with cancer-related mortality at maximal follow-up was higher in the percutaneous alcohol injection group (adjusted proportion 16.8%) compared with the radiofrequency ablation group (20/232 (8.6%)) (odds ratio 2.18, 95% CI 1.22 to 3.89; 458 participants; 3 trials; I² = 0%). There was no evidence of a difference in any of the comparisons that reported serious adverse events (number of participants or number of events). None of the trials reported health-related quality of life. Five trials were funded by parties without any vested interest; the source of funding was not available in the remaining trials.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The evidence was of low or very low quality. There was no evidence of a difference in all-cause mortality at maximal follow-up between surgery and radiofrequency ablation in people eligible for surgery. All-cause mortality at maximal follow-up was higher with percutaneous acetic acid injection and percutaneous alcohol injection than with radiofrequency ablation in people not eligible for surgery. There was no evidence of a difference in all-cause mortality at maximal follow-up for the other comparisons. High-quality RCTs designed to assess clinically important differences in all-cause mortality and health-related quality of life, and having an adequate follow-up period (approximately five years) are needed.

Management of people with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma: an attempted network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

There is significant uncertainty in the treatment of intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma which is defined by the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) as hepatocellular carcinoma stage B with large, multi-nodular, Child-Pugh status A to B, performance status 0 to 2, and without vascular occlusion or extrahepatic disease.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the comparative benefits and harms of different interventions used in the treatment of intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (BCLC stage B) through a network meta-analysis and to generate rankings of the available interventions according to their safety and efficacy. However, we found only one comparison. Therefore, we did not perform the network meta-analysis, and we assessed the comparative benefits and harms of different interventions versus each other, or versus placebo, sham, or no intervention (supportive treatment only) using standard Cochrane methodology.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase, Science Citation Index Expanded, World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and randomised clinical trials registers to September 2016 to identify randomised clinical trials on hepatocellular carcinoma.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included only randomised clinical trials, irrespective of language, blinding, or publication status, in participants with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma, irrespective of the presence of cirrhosis, size, or number of the tumours (provided they met the criteria of intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma), of presence or absence of portal hypertension, of aetiology of hepatocellular carcinoma, and of the future remnant liver volume. We excluded trials which included participants who had previously undergone liver transplantation. We considered any of the various interventions compared with each other or with no active intervention (supportive treatment only). We excluded trials which compared variations of the same intervention: for example, different methods of performing transarterial chemoembolisation.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. We calculated the hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using both fixed-effect and random-effects models based on available-participant analysis with Review Manager. We assessed risk of bias according to Cochrane, controlled risk of random errors with Trial Sequential Analysis using Stata, and assessed the quality of the evidence using GRADE.

MAIN RESULTS

Three randomised clinical trials, including 430 participants, met the inclusion criteria for this review; however, data from two trials with 412 participants could be included in only one primary outcome (i.e. mortality). All three trials were at high risk of bias. All three trials included supportive care as cointervention. The comparisons included in the two trials reporting on mortality were: systemic chemotherapy with sorafenib versus no active intervention; and transarterial chemoembolisation plus systemic chemotherapy with sorafenib versus transarterial chemoembolisation alone. The trials did not report the duration of follow-up; however, it appeared that the participants were followed up for a period of about 18 to 30 months. The majority of the participants in the trials had cirrhotic livers. The trials included participants with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma arising from viral and non-viral aetiologies. The trials did not report the portal hypertension status of the participants. The mortality was 50% to 70% over a median follow-up period of 18 to 30 months. There was no evidence of difference in mortality at maximal follow-up between systemic chemotherapy versus no chemotherapy (hazard ratio 0.85, 95% CI 0.60 to 1.18; participants = 412; studies = 2; I² = 0%; very low quality evidence). A subgroup analysis performed by stratifying the analysis by the presence or absence of transarterial chemoembolisation as cointervention did not alter the results. None of the trials reported on serious adverse events other than mortality, health-related quality of life, recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma, or length of hospital stay. One of the trials providing data was funded by the pharmaceutical industry, the other did not report the source of funding, and the trial with no data for the review was also funded by the pharmaceutical industry. We found two ongoing trials.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Currently, there is no evidence from randomised clinical trials that people with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma would benefit from systemic chemotherapy with sorafenib either alone or when transarterial chemoembolisation was used as a cointervention (very low quality evidence). We need high-quality randomised clinical trials designed to measure differences in clinically important outcomes (e.g. all-cause mortality or health-related quality of life).

Distinguished prognosis after hepatectomy of HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma with or without cirrhosis: a long-term follow-up analysis

BACKGROUND

Conflicting results have often been observed for the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, but few studies have attempted to explore the reasons for the conflicting results. We aimed to distinguish the prognosis of patients with HCC with cirrhosis (HCC-C) and that of patients with HCC without cirrhosis (HCC-NC).

METHODS

Patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated HCC treated by curative liver resection at a single institution between 1995 and 2013 were retrospectively evaluated. Kaplan-Meier and multivariate analyses were performed to identify risk factors, including tumor-related factors, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α expression, HBV X protein (HBx) expression, and HBx double mutations for overall survival and recurrence-free survival in these patients.

RESULTS

The long-term prognosis of HCC-NC patients is better than that of HCC-C patients. Male sex, poor differentiation, preoperative serum alanine aminotransferase level greater than 80 IU/L, and α-fetoprotein level greater than 400 ng/mL were risk factors for overall survival among HCC-NC patients but not among HCC-C patients, and age greater than 50 years was associated with poor overall survival only in cirrhotic patients. HCC-C patients benefit more from antiviral therapy following curative hepatectomy than do HCC-NC patients. The clinical value of the biomarkers hypoxia-inducible factor 1α, HBx, and HBx double mutations for predicting HCC prognosis was significantly different between these two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

There were differences in tumor-related prognostic factors, effectiveness of the antiviral therapy after hepatectomy, and biomarkers between HCC-C and HCC-NC patients, indicating that subgroup analysis of the prognostic factors may result in better management of HCC and that HCC patients, especially those with liver cirrhosis, should be given antiviral therapy.

CT of Atypical and Uncommon Presentations of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this article is to familiarize radiologists with uncommon presentations of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with an emphasis on the CT spectrum of atypical appearances.

CONCLUSION

HCC is the fifth most common neoplasm worldwide and the second most common cause of cancer-related death. In many cases, HCC can be confidently diagnosed with noninvasive imaging. However, there are numerous unusual appearances of HCC with which the radiologist must be familiar.

MDCT features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in non-cirrhotic liver

PURPOSE

To describe the multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) imaging features of HCC that develops in patients who are free from underlying liver cirrhosis and to determine if the MDCT presentation of this specific tumor differs from that of the more common HCC that develops in patients with liver cirrhosis using a retrospective case-control study.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The MDCT examinations of 38 patients with HCC in non-cirrhotic liver (group 1) were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed and compared to those obtained in 38 patients with HCC in cirrhotic liver (group 2) matched for age and gender. Quantitative and qualitative characteristics of HCC of both groups were compared using univariate analysis.

RESULTS

HCCs were significantly larger in group 1 (81.5mm±55.5) than in group 2 (44.5mm±39.1 SD; P=0.0015). In group 1, HCCs were more frequently single tumors (87%) than in group 2 (37%) (P<0.0001), encapsulated (92% vs. 47% respectively; P<0.0001), had more frequently fatty component (24% vs. 8%, respectively; P=0.0279) and internal hemorrhage (29% vs. 3%, respectively; P=0.0033). No significant differences were found between the two groups for location, hyperenhancement of HCC during the arterial phase, washout during the portal phase, endoluminal portal involvement by HCC, endoportal cruoric thrombus, invasion of adjacent organs and underlying liver steatosis.

CONCLUSION

HCC in non-cirrhotic liver are larger than those observed in cirrhotic liver and more frequently present as a single encapsulated tumor. They have the same patterns of enhancement than HCC that develops in cirrhotic liver.

Facing the enigma of the vascular network in hepatocellular carcinomas in cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic livers

AIMS

In this paper we aimed to analyse the typology and the phenotype of the different vascular modifications in human hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) with a new immunomorphological and gene expression approach. We also attempted to correlate these modifications with the histological parameters of tumour aggressiveness and the surrounding liver parenchyma.

METHODS

Ninety-six HCCs (from 80 patients) were retrospectively enrolled, 46 occurring in non-cirrhotic livers, and 50 in livers transplanted for cirrhosis. Histopathological analysis, immunohistochemistry for CD34, Nestin and WT1 and RT-PCR for Nestin, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1R) mRNA were performed in all nodules.

RESULTS

By correlating the CD34 and Nestin immunoreactivity in HCC vasculature with the tumorous architecture, we identified four vascular patterns (named from 'a' to 'd'). Each of them was characterised by different expressions of TGFβ1 and IGF1R mRNA. Pattern a showed CD34-positive/Nestin-negative sinusoids, and was prevalent in microtrabecular lesions. Pattern b showed similar morphology and architecture as pattern a, but with Nestin-positive sinusoids and a significant 'boost' in IGF1R and TGFβ1 mRNAs. In patterns c and d a progressive sinusoid loss and a gain of newly formed arterioles were seen. Notably, HCCs with pattern a arose more frequently in cirrhosis (p=0.024), and showed lower incidence of microvascular invasion (p=0.002) and infiltration (p=0.005) compared with HCCs with other patterns.

CONCLUSIONS

Although future studies are surely required, the identification of different vascular profiles in HCCs from cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic livers may help clarify the relationship between HCC progression and aggressiveness.