Role of liver resection in the management of multinodular hepatocellular carcinoma

Combination of Vitamin C and Lenvatinib potentiates antitumor effects in hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro

Lenvatinib has become a first-line drug in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Investigating its use in combination with other agents is of great significance to improve the sensitivity and durable response of Lenvatinib in advanced HCC patients. Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid, ascorbate, VC) is an important natural antioxidant, which has been reported to show suppressive effects in cancer treatment. Here, we investigated the effect of the combination of VC and Lenvatinib in HCC cells in vitro. We found that treatment of VC alone significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion in HCC cells. Additionally, VC was strongly synergistic with Lenvatinib in inhibition of the proliferative, migratory and invasive capacities of HCC cells in vitro. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the combination of VC and Lenvatinib has synergistic antitumor activities against HCC cells, providing a promising therapeutic strategy to improve the prognosis of HCC patients.

Multiple hepatocellular carcinoma: Long-term outcomes following resection beyond actual guidelines. An Italian multicentric retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is frequently diagnosed as multinodular. This study aims to assess prognostic factors for survival and identify patients with multiple HCC who may benefit from surgery beyond the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer classification indications.

METHODS

This retrospective study included all the consecutive patients from 4 Italian tertiary centers receiving liver resection for naive multiple HCC between 1990 and 2012 to have a potential follow-up of 5 years.

RESULTS

Included patients were 144. Ninety-day morbidity and mortality rates were 38.3% and 8.3%, respectively. The 5-year overall and disease-free survival rates were 33.3% and 19.1%, respectively. Tumor size <3 cm, bilirubin, Child-Pugh A, BCLC-A stage, being within "up-to-7" criteria, and minor resections resulted in prognostic factors. The Child-Pugh score resulted in an independent prognostic factor.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgery may be related to good outcomes in selected patients with multiple HCC.

KIF15 Promotes Proliferation and Growth of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Liver cancer is thought as the most common human malignancy worldwide, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for nearly 90% liver cancer. Due to its poor early diagnosis and limited treatment, HCC has therefore become the most lethal malignant cancers in the world. Recently, molecular targeted therapies showed great promise in the treatment of HCC, and novel molecular therapeutic targets is urgently needed. KIF15 is a microtubule-dependent motor protein involved in multiple cell processes, such as cell division. Additionally, KIF15 has been reported to participate in the growth of various types of tumors; however, the relation between KIF15 and HCC is unclear. Herein, our study investigated the possible role of KIF15 on the progression of HCC and found that KIF15 has high expression in tumor samples from HCC patients. KIF15 could play a critical role in the regulation of cell proliferation of HCC, which was proved by in vitro and in vivo assays. In conclusion, this study confirmed that KIF15 could be a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC.

The early evaluation of ultrasound-guided iodine-125 interstitial implants for high-risk hepatocellular carcinoma

INTRODUCTION

To evaluate the feasibility and safety of ultrasound-guided iodine-125 interstitial implants for high-risk hepatocellular carcinoma.

METHODS

From October, 2016, to August, 2018, 49 patients suffering from a total of 66 hepatocellular carcinoma lesions were treated with ultrasound-guided iodine-125 interstitial implantation. Treatment planning system was applied to make preoperative plan. The response evaluation criteria in solid tumors were used to evaluate the curative effect. The evaluated outcomes included postoperative complications and complete disease control rate, 6-month disease-free survival, and 6-month overall survival.

RESULTS

All 49 patients underwent iodine-125 seed implantation successfully. Patients were followed up for 5 to 27.5 months. No patients developed serious complications and only 2 (4.1%) patients had slight pain. The complete response was seen in 21 lesions (31.8%), partial response in 26 lesions (39.4%), stable disease in eight lesions (12.1%), and progressive disease in 11 lesions (16.7%). The overall disease control rate was reached to 83.3%. The 6-month disease-free survival rate was 46.4% with a median disease-free survival time of 5.0 months. The 6-month overall survival rate was 83.6% with a median overall survival time of 15.0 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Iodine-125 interstitial implantation is a kind of safe and feasible treatment for high-risk hepatocellular carcinoma.