scholarly journals Substantial risk of recurrence even after 5 recurrence-free years in early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma patients

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 516-528
Author(s):  
Jihye Kim ◽  
Wonseok Kang ◽  
Dong Hyun Sinn ◽  
Geum-Youn Gwak ◽  
Yong-Han Paik ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: Although hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is notorious for its high recurrence rate, some patients do not experience recurrence for more than 5 years after resection or radiofrequency ablation for early-stage HCC. For those with five recurrence-free period, the risk of HCC recurrence within the next 5 years remains unknown.Methods: A total of 1,451 consecutive patients (median, 55 years old; males, 79.0%; hepatitis B virus-related, 79.3%) with good liver function (Child-Pugh class A) diagnosed with early-stage HCC by Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Staging and received radiofrequency ablation or resection as an initial treatment between 2005 and 2010 were analyzed.Results: During a median follow-up period of 8.1 years, 961 patients (66.2%) experienced HCC recurrence. The cumulative recurrence rates increased to 39.7%, 60.3%, and 71.0% at 2, 5, and 10 years, respectively, and did not reach a plateau. Five years after HCC diagnosis, 487 patients were alive without experiencing a recurrence. Among them, during a median of 3.9 additional years of follow-up (range, 0.1–9.0 years), 127 patients (26.1%) experienced recurrence. The next 5-year cumulative recurrence rate (5–10 years from initial diagnosis) was 27.0%. Male sex, higher fibrosis-4 scores, and alpha-fetoprotein levels at 5 years were associated with later HCC recurrence among patients who did not experience recurrence for more than 5 years.Conclusions: The HCC recurrence rate following 5 recurrence-free years after HCC treatment was high, indicating that HCC patients warrant continued HCC surveillance, even after 5 recurrence-free years.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 4581-4581
Author(s):  
Ryosuke Tateishi ◽  
Kiyoshi Hasegawa ◽  
Yoshikuni Kawaguchi ◽  
Tadatoshi Takayama ◽  
Namiki Izumi ◽  
...  

4581 Background: In parallel with a multicenter randomized controlled trial that reported an equal recurrence-free survival (RFS) of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients who underwent either surgery (SUR) or radiofrequency ablation (RFA), we also enrolled HCC patients who fulfilled the enrollment criteria but did not give consent to participate in the RCT. Methods: All patients gave informed consent to participate in this study. Inclusion criteria were as follows: primary HCC with less than or equal to 3 tumors, each measuring 3 cm or smaller; without vascular invasion or extrahepatic metastasis; Child-Pugh score of 7 or less; and ages between 20 and 79 years. The feasibility for both treatments was confirmed by a joint chart review by surgeons and hepatologists. The primary endpoint was RFS and overall survival. A pre-specified interim analysis was performed to compare RFS. Results: Between April 2009 and August 2015, 740 patients (371 in SUR, 369 in RFA) were enrolled from 49 participating hospitals in Japan. The SUR group had significantly fewer patients with chronic hepatitis C (56.6% vs. 69.4%), higher median value of platelet count (145 vs. 120 × 109/L), and more patients with > 2 cm tumors (49.9% vs. 27.9%); most patients had a single tumor (91.1% vs. 88.3%). During the median follow-up period of 5 years, tumor recurrence was observed in 192 of SUR and 218 of RFA with 3-year RFS being 66.0% and 61.7%, respectively ( P = 0.091). In subgroup analysis, RFS was significantly better in SUR in patients with ≤ 2 cm tumors (62.9% vs. 51.7% in 3 years; hazard ratio [HR] 0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.56-0.93; P = 0.014), whereas the difference was not significant in those with > 2 cm tumors (52.7% vs. 46.4%; HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.63-1.18; P = 0.34). The adjusted HR for RFS using inversed probability of treatment weighting was 0.89 (95% CI, 0.72-1.10; P = 0.287). Conclusions: The imbalance in patient characteristics reflected a real-world practice. Factors related to background liver disease rather than tumor characteristics might have a larger impact on the recurrence in early HCC. Clinical trial information: C000001796 .


PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0242113
Author(s):  
Hsin-Yeh Chen ◽  
Sheng-Nan Lu ◽  
Chao-Hung Hung ◽  
Jing-Houng Wang ◽  
Chien-Hung Chen ◽  
...  

Background Intrahepatic distant recurrence (IDR) is a significant problem for patients who have undergone radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The objective of the study was to investigate risk factors and to predict outcomes of recurrent IDR within Milan criteria after complete RFA for primary early-stage HCC. Method This retrospective study reviewed 449 patients with intrahepatic distant recurrent HCC after complete RFA for early-stage HCC. After excluding 100 patients who were beyond Milan criteria, with incomplete lab data, or had follow-up less than three months, a total of 349 patient cases were compiled and their baseline characteristics, further treatment modalities after tumor recurrence and survival were analyzed. Results After a median follow-up of 36.2 months, 92 patients had expired. The majority of patients were male (59.9%) with a median age of 64.3 years (range:38–88). The cumulative 5-year overall survival (OS) rates after treatment for recurrent HCC was 67.2%. On multivariate analysis, end-stage renal disease(Hazard ratio (H.R.) = 2.33, p = 0.021), m-ALBI grade 2a (H.R. = 2.86, p = 0.003) and m-ALBI grades 2b or 3 (H.R. = 2.30, p = 0.009), APRI greater than 1 (H.R. = 1.92, p = 0.036) and 2nd recurrence occurring within 1 year (H.R. = 2.69, p<0.001) were significantly associated with worse survival. The cumulative 5-year 2nd recurrence rate was 87.4%. On multivariate analysis, male gender (H.R. = 1.47, p = 0.01), age greater than 65 years (H.R. = 1.72, p<0.001), an alpha fetoprotein level greater than 20ng/ml (H.R. = 1.41, p = 0.016), surgical treatment for recurrent HCC (H.R. = 0.25, p = 0.007), tumor number greater than 1 (H.R. = 1.35, p = 0.046), and IDR developing within 2 years (H.R. = 1.67, p = 0.001) were prognostic factors for 2nd recurrence. Conclusion Our study suggested that presence of end-stage renal disease, m-ALBI grades 2 and 3, APRI >1 and time to 2nd HCC recurrence were all associated with overall survival while the 2nd HCC recurrence was associated with male gender, age ≥65 years, α-fetoprotein level >20 ng/mL, non-surgical therapy, time to IDR, and tumor number> 1.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 684
Author(s):  
Yen-Po Lin ◽  
Shu-Hsien Lin ◽  
Chih-Chi Wang ◽  
Chih-Che Lin ◽  
Ding-Wei Chen ◽  
...  

Backgrounds and Aim: Metabolic-associated fatty liver dis-ease (MAFLD) is a novel term proposed in 2020 to avoid the exclusion of certain subpopulations, though the application of this term in the real world is very limited. Here, we aimed to evaluate the impact of MAFLD on hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after curative resection. Methods: Patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB)-related HCC who received hepatectomy between January 2010 and December 2019 were consecutively selected. The association between histologically proven concurrent MAFLD and clinical outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Among the 812 eligible patients with CHB-related HCC, 369 (45.4%) were diagnosed with concurrent MAFLD. After a mean follow-up of 65 months, 303 patients (37.3%) developed HCC recurrence, 111 (13.7%) died, and 12 (1.5%) received liver transplantation. Although no differences in the incidences of HCC recurrence (HR: 0.902, 95% CI: 0.719–1.131, p = 0.370) and death or liver transplantation (HR: 0.743, 95% CI: 0.518–1.006, p = 0.107) were observed between patients with and without MAFLD in multivariate analysis, the patients with MAFLD tended to achieve better recurrent-free survival compared to patients without MAFLD. Notably, lean MAFLD (BMI < 23 kg/m2) was a relative risk factor for tumor recurrence (HR: 2.030, 95% CI: 1.117–3.690, p = 0.020) among patients with MAFLD. Conclusions: The overall prognosis in HBV-related early-stage HCC, in terms of HCC recurrence and death or liver transplantation, was not significantly different between patients with and without MAFLD. Among patients with MALFD, lean-MAFLD was a risk factor for HCC recurrence. Further studies are warranted to validate these results.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan-Chen Li ◽  
Ping-Hung Chen ◽  
Jen-Hao Yeh ◽  
Pojen Hsiao ◽  
Gin-Ho Lo ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The detection rate of Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) very-early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing because of advances in surveillance and improved imaging technologies for high-risk populations. Surgical resection (SR) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) are both first‐line treatments for very-early-stage HCC, but the differences in clinical outcomes between patients treated with SR and RFA remain unclear. This study investigated the prognosis of SR and RFA for very-early‐stage HCC patients with long‐term follow‐up. Methods This study was retrospectively collected data on the clinicopathological characteristics, overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS) of 188 very-early-stage HCC patients (≤ 2 cm single HCC). OS and DFS were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression analysis. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed. Results Of the 188 HCC patients, 103 received SR and 85 received RFA. The median follow‐up time was 56 months. The SR group had significantly higher OS than the RFA group (10-year cumulative OS: 55.2% and 31.3% in the SR and RFA groups, respectively). No statistically significant difference was observed in DFS between the SR and RFA groups (10-year cumulative DFS: 45.9% and 32.6% in the SR and RFA groups, respectively). After PSM, the OS in the SR group remained significantly higher than that in the RFA group (10-year cumulative OS: 54.7% and 42.2% in the SR and RFA groups, respectively). No significant difference was observed in DFS between the SR and RFA groups (10-year cumulative DFS: 43.0% and 35.4% in the SR and RFA groups, respectively). Furthermore, in the multivariate Cox regression analysis, treatment type (hazard ratio (HR): 0.54, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.31–0.95; P = 0.032) and total bilirubin (HR: 1.92; 95% CI: 1.09–3.41; P = 0.025) were highly associated with OS. In addition, age (HR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.36–3.36; P = 0.001) and cirrhosis (HR: 1.79; 95% CI: 1.11–2.89; P = 0.018) were strongly associated with DFS. Conclusion For patients with very-early-stage HCC, SR was associated with significantly higher OS rates than RFA. However, no significant difference was observed in DFS between the SR and RFA groups.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 4002-4002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Namiki Izumi ◽  
Kiyoshi Hasegawa ◽  
Yujiro Nishioka ◽  
Tadatoshi Takayama ◽  
Naoki Yamanaka ◽  
...  

4002 Background: Surgery (SUR) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) are both known to be effective therapy for treating patients with small oligonodular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however there is only insufficient evidence about which therapy is more preferred approach. This randomized controlled trial was designed to prospectively compare the efficacy of SUR and RFA as the first approach to primary HCC. Methods: In this open-label trial undertaken at 49 hospital in Japan, we recruited patients having primary HCC with tumor foci numbering less than 3, each measuring 3 cm or less, Child-Pugh score of 7 or less, ages between 20 and 79 year. Before randomization, technical and liver functional feasibility for both treatment arms were confirmed by joint chart review by surgeons and hepatologists. Patients were then randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to undergo SUR or RFA, stratified by age, infection of hepatitis-C virus, number of tumors, tumor size and institution. The primary endpoint was recurrence free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: Between April 2009 and August 2015, total 308 patients were enrolled to this trial. Because of ineligibility 15 patients were excluded, therefore 145 patients underwent SUR and 148 patients underwent RFA finally. There was no perioperative mortality. Under the median follow-up of 5 years, the 3-year RFS of patients underwent SUR and RFA was 49.8%, 47.7%, respectively (hazard ration [HR] 0.96, 95% CI 0.72-1.28; p = 0.793). OS will be analyzed and published after two years. Conclusions: SUR and RFA were both safe therapeutic approaches and provided equally RFS for early stage HCC smaller than 3 cm. Clinical trial information: UMIN000001795.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2499
Author(s):  
Lisanne Noordam ◽  
Zhouhong Ge ◽  
Hadiye Özturk ◽  
Michail Doukas ◽  
Shanta Mancham ◽  
...  

High recurrence rates after resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with curative intent impair clinical outcomes of HCC. Cancer/testis antigens (CTAs) are suitable targets for cancer immunotherapy if selectively expressed in tumor cells. The aims were to identify CTAs that are frequently and selectively expressed in HCC-tumors, and to investigate whether CTAs could serve as biomarkers for occult metastasis. Tumor and paired tumor-free liver (TFL) tissues of HCC-patients and healthy tissues were assessed for mRNA expression of 49 CTAs by RT-qPCR and protein expression of five CTAs by immunohistochemistry. Twelve CTA-mRNAs were expressed in ≥10% of HCC-tumors and not in healthy tissues except testis. In tumors, mRNA and protein of ≥ 1 CTA was expressed in 78% and 71% of HCC-patients, respectively. In TFL, CTA mRNA and protein was found in 45% and 30% of HCC-patients, respectively. Interestingly, CTA-expression in TFL was an independent negative prognostic factor for post-resection HCC-recurrence and survival. We established a panel of 12 testis-restricted CTAs expressed in tumors of most HCC-patients. The increased risk of HCC-recurrence in patients with CTA expression in TFL, suggests that CTA-expressing (pre-)malignant cells may be a source of HCC-recurrence, reflecting the relevance of targeting these to prevent HCC-recurrence.


Circulation ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 116 (suppl_16) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raphaël Fontaine ◽  
Denis Bouchard ◽  
Philippe Demers ◽  
Raymond Cartier ◽  
Michel Carrier ◽  
...  

Introduction: Chronic ischemic mitral regurgitation (MR) has been associated with poor long-term survival. Suboptimal midterm results have been a growing concern in the surgical community. In recent years, our approach to repair those valves has evolved to a standardized technique using complete, rigid and small annuloplasty rings. This study aims to compare this systematic approach with our prior experience from 1996 –2001 where recurrent MR rate was high. Methods: 129 patients underwent repair for pure ischemic mitral valve regurgitation between 2002 and 2005 at our institution. Of these patients, 99 had clinical and echographic follow-up. These patients were compared to the 1996 –2001 cohort of 73 patients. Results: Preoperatively, 84% of patients were in NYHA class III or IV, 17% had moderate MR, 83% had moderate-severe to severe MR. Sixteen were redo operations, mostly of previous CABG. All patients except one were treated with a complete rigid ring (Annuloflo 46.5%, Physioring 34.9%, Etlogix 13.9%, others 3.8%). Ring size was: 24 (0.8%); 26 (55.8%); 28 (38%); or 30 (4.5%). Mortality was 8.5% at 30 days, 14.7% at 1 year and 17.8% at 2 years. Immediate postoperative regurgitation was absent or trace in all patients. Freedom from reoperation was 97%. Mean postoperative NYHA class was 1.15 at a mean follow-up of 28 months. Recurrent moderate mitral regurgitation (2+) was 15.34%, severe mitral regurgitation (3+ to 4+) was 13.4% at a mean follow-up of 16 months. In the 73 patients from the period 1996 –2001 at the same echo follow-up time, the moderate and severe recurrence were: 37% and 21%. The decrease in the recurrence rate was highly significant (p=0.001). Conclusion: A more standardized approach to ischemic mitral valve repair has improved the high recurrence rate previously reported by our group. Long-term follow-up is necessary to confirm these findings.


1993 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Savastano ◽  
G. P. Feltrin ◽  
D. Neri ◽  
P. da Pian ◽  
M. Chiesura-Corona ◽  
...  

Thirty-three consecutive patients with previously untreated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 6 patients with recurrent HCC were treated with transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). The patients were not eligible for surgical resection or percutaneous ethanol injection. TAE was performed with Lipiodol Ultra-Fluid, epidoxorubicin and Gelfoam, with a mean of 1.7 treatments per patient. CT was performed 15 days after TAE. The mean cumulative survival was 14.2 months in patients with previously untreated HCC. The survival of patients stages Okuda I and II did not differ significantly (p > 0.05); tumor size did not affect survival (p > 0.05). Two patients with recurrent HCC died 7.0 and 9.3 months after the diagnosis of tumor recurrence; the remaining 4 patients are still alive with a maximum follow-up of 22.5 months from the diagnosis of HCC recurrence. Ten complications occurred in 8 patients, and were controlled by medical therapy. Eleven patients died during the study; no death was related to TAE. The series was not randomized, but comparison with the natural history of HCC suggests that TAE is effective as palliative treatment of advanced or recurrent HCC.


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