Impact of Local Therapy on Outcomes in Patients with Recurrent Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Liver Transplantation

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who recur after liver transplantation have limited systemic therapy options in part due to ineligibility for immune checkpoint inhibition. Thus, assessing the benefit of local, metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) is imperative. We aimed to evaluate the impact of MDT on outcomes in patients with post-transplant HCC recurrence.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Patients at a single center with recurrent HCC after liver transplant were identified. Recurrence/progression were assessed via RECIST criteria. At initial recurrence, patients with < = 3 metastases (mets) were considered oligorecurrent (oligoM1); those with >3 mets were polyrecurrent. Progression was defined as growth of existing mets or appearance of new mets. Poly-progression-free survival (polyPFS) was the time from oligorecurrence to polyprogression (>3 progressive mets) or death. Survival was estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariable Cox regression was used to identify covariates associated with outcomes; those with p<.05 were included in multivariable regression.

RESULTS

From 2005-2022, 43 patients with HCC who underwent liver transplantation experienced recurrence; 27 (63%) had oligoM1 disease at the time of recurrence. The most common sites of recurrence were liver (N = 14), abdominal nodes (N = 14), and lungs (N = 11). Low AFP (<400 ng/mL) and oligoM1 disease were associated with a favorable OS (P<.05) and these associations remained significant in multivariable analysis. Among patients with oligoM1 recurrence, 15/27 received MDT to all sites of disease (MDT-All). MDT consisted of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (N = 6), intensity-modulated radiotherapy (N = 2), TACE (N = 1), microwave ablation (N = 3), cryoablation (N = 2), and surgery (N = 2). Among oligoM1 patients, more patients with MDT-All had liver involvement than those who did not have MDT-All (33% vs 0%, P = .047), but there was no difference in performance status, AFP, or systemic therapy receipt. Among oligoM1 patients, MDT-All was associated with improved polyPFS (median 11.7 vs 4.8 mos; P = .025), and OS (38.4 vs 16.1 mos; P = .021) compared to those who did not receive MDT-All. Two patients who received MDT-All remained alive at >4 years of follow-up from recurrence, while 1 patient remained alive at >14 years of follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Local therapy in patients with post-transplantation oligorecurrence (<3 mets) of HCC may delay disease progression and improve survival.

Phase II trial of neoadjuvant exemestane [EXE] and celecoxib [CELE] in breast cancer: Results of biomarkers

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Background: Aromatase [CYP19] activity and expression is increased by prostaglandin E2, thus providing a rational for combining the COX-2 inhibitor, CELE, with an aromatase inhibitor. To evaluate the effects of these drugs on proliferation and other biomarkers, we conducted a neoadjuvant trial of EXE alone followed by the combination of EXE and CELE. The primary endpoint was the assessment of biomarkers and the secondary endpoint was toxicity. Methods: Clinical stages II/III, postmenopausal, estrogen [ER] and/or progesterone receptor [PR] positive, previously untreated, ECOG 0–1 were eligible. Excluded were inflammatory breast cancer, history of myocardial infarction, and documented allergy to aspirin, NSAIDs, or sulfonamides. After initial core biopsy pts received 8 weeks (wks) of EXE 25 mg daily. They then received a second core biopsy followed by 8 wks of EXE and CELE 400 mg twice daily. After 16 wks, pts had definitive surgery. Compliance was assessed by pill counts at study visists every 4 wks. At baseline, 8, and 16 wks, pts had tumor measurements by physical exam, mammogram, and ultrasound. A tissue microarray [TMA] was contructed and immunohistochemical [IHC] staining with commercially available antibodies for Ki-67, COX-2, HER-2, ER, and PR was performed. Two independent pathologists scored intensity and percentage of cells staining and were blinded to treatment and the timimg of specimen acquistion. Statistical analyses were performed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test Results: Twenty pts with a median age 62 (range 56–87) were enrolled. CELE was discontinued in 3 (15%) pts for grade 1 rash-1 pt; grade 1 creatinine elevation-1 pt; and grade 1 melena-1 pt. Three (15%) pts-partial response, 16 (80%)-stable disease, and 1 (5%)-progressive disease. None of the differences in biomarkers between 0 and 8 wks and 8 and 16 wks were significant. A trend toward decreasing mean Ki 67 was observed from 0 to 8 wks (20% vs 9%, p=0.19) and 8 to 16 wks (9% vs 7%, p=0.7) Conclusions: Neoadjuvant EXE followed by EXE/CELE was well tolerated with anti-tumor activity. Tumor cell proliferation decreased by about 50% during EXE, but small sample size precluded reaching statistical significance. Frozen tissue was collected and the results of CYP 19 mRNA expression will be presented.

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Self-generated mnemonics for number recall in young and old adults

Self-generated strategies for recall of number facts were examined in 164 adults who ranged in age from 20 to 86 years. Participants recalled a number list that included six 2-digit prices and six 4-digit phone numbers. Following recall, participants reported their encoding strategies. A larger percentage of the younger subjects (< 49 yr.) reported using a specific verbal mediator to facilitate encoding, and younger subjects recalled more 2-digit and 4-digit numbers. Across age groups, the self-reported use of encoding strategies facilitated recall.