scholarly journals Locoregional Therapy Approaches for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Recent Advances and Management Strategies

Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1914 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mina S. Makary ◽  
Umang Khandpur ◽  
Jordan M. Cloyd ◽  
Khalid Mumtaz ◽  
Joshua D. Dowell

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver malignancy and third leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. While surgical resection and transplantation are the standard first-line treatments for early-stage HCC, most patients do not fulfill criteria for surgery. Fortunately, catheter-directed and percutaneous locoregional approaches have evolved as major treatment modalities for unresectable HCC. Improved outcomes have been achieved with novel techniques which can be employed for diverse applications ranging from curative-intent for small localized tumors, to downstaging or bridging to resection and transplantation for early and intermediate disease, and locoregional control and palliation for advanced disease. This review explores recent advances in liver-directed techniques for HCC including bland transarterial embolization, chemoembolization, radioembolization, and ablative therapies, with a focus on patient selection, procedural technique, periprocedural management, and outcomes.

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (18) ◽  
pp. 1314-1318
Author(s):  
Ganaraj Kulamarva ◽  
Supriya Prathibha Shankaranarayana Bhat ◽  
Sunil Dadhich ◽  
Narendra Bhargava ◽  
Prabhat Ranjan

BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a lethal malignancy which mostly develops in patients with cirrhosis. It is usually diagnosed late in the course of the illness and the median survival following diagnosis ranges between 6 - 20 months. India lacks data on management strategies and their efficacy. In the absence of data on treatment protocols and its adequacy; we evaluated our own centre data for a period of 1 year to get the estimate of incidence, aetiology, treatment adequacy and response to treatment. Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) prognostic staging classification comprising five stages is used for prognostication, which is based on the extent of the primary lesion, performance status, vascular invasion and extrahepatic spread. Surgical therapies including resection and transplantation are feasible in early stages (BCLC stage 0 and stage A). Trans arterial chemoembolisation is recommended in intermediate stage (BCLC stage B) while systemic therapies are recommended in advanced stage (BCLC stage C). Best supportive care is recommended in terminal stage (BCLC stage D). This study has included BCLC staging for staging classification and patients were assessed for adequacy of management. METHODS This study was done as a retrospective hospital based observational study. All HCC patients presenting to Mahatma Gandhi Hospital attached to Dr. Sampurnanand Medical College, Jodhpur, Western Rajasthan from January to December 2014 were included. HCC was diagnosed based on European Association for the study of the Liver–European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EASL–EORTC) clinical practice guidelines 2011. Patients were classified according to Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging and management given was recorded. RESULTS Thirty-two patients who were diagnosed with HCC between January to December 2014 were included in the study. In three fourths of the patients (24) HCC was diagnosed based on typical findings on dynamic imaging studies (triple phase contrast enhanced CT-computed tomography abdomen and / or MRI- magnetic resonance imaging abdomen). Liver biopsy was needed in one fourth of the patients. Majority of the patients (87.5 %) had cirrhosis of the liver at the time of diagnosis of HCC. Some of these patients [5 (17.8 %)] were known cirrhotic patients. CONCLUSIONS Hepatitis B was the most common aetiology of HCC as mentioned previously in other studies, which is vaccine preventable. HCC is rarely diagnosed at an early stage in developing countries. Various treatment modalities are available which depend on the stage, local expertise and affordability. If the surveillance recommendations are strictly adhered,HCC can be diagnosed at an early stage. Affordability and compliance will remain issues in HCC management in our country increasing the socio-economic burden on the society. KEY WORDS Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), BCLC Staging, Survival


Cancers ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 396
Author(s):  
Kohei Ogawa ◽  
Yasutsugu Takada

Recently, there have been many reports of the usefulness of locoregional therapy such as transarterial chemoembolization and radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as pretreatment before liver transplantation (LT). Locoregional therapy is performed with curative intent in Japan, where living donor LT constitutes the majority of LT due to the critical shortage of deceased donors. However, in Western countries, where deceased donor LT is the main procedure, LT is indicated for early-stage HCC regardless of liver functional reserve, and locoregional therapy is used for bridging until transplantation to prevent drop-outs from the waiting list or for downstaging to treat patients with advanced HCC who initially exceed the criteria for LT. There are many reports of the effect of bridging and downstaging locoregional therapy before LT, and its indications and efficacy are becoming clear. Responses to locoregional therapy, such as changes in tumor markers, the avidity of FDG-PET, etc., are considered useful for successful bridging and downstaging. In this review, the effects of bridging and downstaging locoregional therapy as a pretransplant treatment on the results of transplantation are clarified, focusing on recent reports.


2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (05) ◽  
pp. 484-491
Author(s):  
Cathal O'Leary ◽  
Michael C. Soulen ◽  
Susan Shamimi-Noori

AbstractMetastatic liver disease is one of the major causes of cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Locoregional therapies offered by interventional oncologists alleviate cancer-related morbidity and in some cases improve survival. Locoregional therapies are often palliative in nature but occasionally can be used with curative intent. This review will discuss important factors to consider prior to palliative and curative intent treatment of metastatic liver disease with locoregional therapy. These factors include those specific to the tumor, liver function, liver reserve, differences between treatment modalities, and patient-specific considerations.


HPB Surgery ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shirin Elizabeth Khorsandi ◽  
Nigel Heaton

Liver transplantation is the treatment of choice for selected patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) on a background of chronic liver disease. Liver resection or locoregional ablative therapies may be indicated for patients with preserved synthetic function without significant portal hypertension. Milan criteria were introduced to select suitable patients for liver transplant with low risk of tumor recurrence and 5-year survival in excess of 70%. Currently the incidence of HCC is climbing rapidly and in a current climate of organ shortage has led to the re-evaluation of locoregional therapies and resectional surgery to manage the case load. The introduction of biological therapies has had a new dimension to care, adding to the complexities of multidisciplinary team working in the management of HCC. The aim of this paper is to give a brief overview of present day management strategies and decision making.


2017 ◽  
Vol 101 (8) ◽  
pp. e249-e257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arvind R. Murali ◽  
Sanjeev Patil ◽  
Kirk T. Phillips ◽  
Michael D. Voigt

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 289-289
Author(s):  
Kit Man Wong ◽  
Jonghun John Lee ◽  
Amy Wong ◽  
Geoffrey Liu ◽  
Morris Sherman ◽  
...  

289 Background: Studies have demonstrated clinical differences in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) between Asians (AS) and non-Asians (NAS). In the US, AS are less likely to undergo liver transplant compared to Caucasians. Despite the large immigrant population in Canada, there has been no prior comparison of HCC in AS and NAS in the context of the Canadian universal health care system. We retrospectively evaluated the ethnic differences in HCC at the largest cancer centre in Canada. Methods: We analyzed 268 patients who enrolled in a Genetic Epidemiology Study of HCC (April 2010 to February 2013), where patients were asked to complete a questionnaire and give a blood sample at their first visit. Relevant clinical data were extracted and analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test or Chi-square test. Results: The study population had a mean age of 61 years and 83% males. There were 45% AS, 49% Caucasians, and 6% other ethnicities. Etiologies of HCC included: Hepatitis B (HBV) 34%, Hepatitis C (HCV) 32%, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis 15%, alcohol 18%. Compared to NAS, HCC patients of Asian ancestry had significantly higher rates of HBV (60% vs. 12%, p<0.001). At diagnosis, 83% of patients were Child-Pugh A (mean MELD score 9.2). Ethnicity had no impact on Child-Pugh class, multifocal disease or macrovascular invasion. However, MELD scores were lower in AS (p=0.02). Overall, 71% of cases were initially treated with curative intent. Patients underwent various treatment modalities: liver transplant 13%, resection 31%, radiofrequency ablation 39%, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) 21%, radiation 17%, systemic therapy 27%. AS had higher resection rates (41% vs. 22%, p<0.001), while no differences were observed for other treatments. Duration of response was 11.7 months for TACE (AS 14.2, NAS 10.5), 7.5 months for sorafenib (AS 6.8, NAS 8.1). Rate of intolerance to sorafenib was 24% (AS 27%, NAS 22%, p=0.63). This analysis was limited by inherent bias in the selection of study patients. Conclusions: AS with HCC tend to have HBV and lower MELD scores, and to undergo resection in a public health care setting with no differences in the uptake of other therapies. An analysis of survival based on ethnicity will be reported.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simona Signoriello ◽  
Annalisa Annunziata ◽  
Nicola Lama ◽  
Giuseppe Signoriello ◽  
Paolo Chiodini ◽  
...  

Evidence of relative effectiveness of local treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is scanty. We investigated, in a retrospective cohort study, whether surgical resection, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI), and transarterial embolization with (TACE) or without (TAE) chemotherapy resulted in different survival in clinical practice. All patients first diagnosed with HCC and treated with any locoregional therapy from 1998 to 2002 in twelve Italian hospitals were eligible. Overall survival (OS) was the unique endpoint. Three main comparisons were planned: RFA versus PEI, surgical resection versus RFA/PEI (combined), TACE/TAE versus RFA/PEI (combined). Propensity score method was used to minimize bias related to non random treatment assignment. Overall 425 subjects were analyzed, with 385 (91%) deaths after a median followup of 7.7 years. OS did not significantly differ between RFA and PEI (HR 1.11, 95% CI 0.79–1.57), between surgery and RFA/PEI (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.64–1.41) and between TACE/TAE and RFA/PEI (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.66–1.17). 5-year OS probabilities were 0.14 for RFA, 0.18 for PEI, 0.27 for surgery, and 0.15 for TACE/TAE. No locoregional treatment for HCC was found to be more effective than the comparator. Adequately powered randomized clinical trials are still needed to definitely assess relative effectiveness of locoregional HCC treatment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 04 (01) ◽  
pp. 003-012
Author(s):  
Norio Kawamura ◽  
Akinobu Taketomi

AbstractSince the Milan criteria were accepted as the gold standard, liver transplantation has been widely performed as a curative treatment for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The outcome of liver transplantation in early-stage HCC is excellent; however, the Milan criteria are strict, and therefore, only limited numbers of patients can benefit from liver transplantation. Many HCC patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, which falls outside the Milan criteria, so it has been proposed over the last two decades that liver transplant surgeons should perform liver transplantation in locally advanced HCC, when presenting without recurrence. Several trials exploring the upper limits of liver transplantation have been performed, and extensive research on tumor biology has enabled the expansion of liver transplant indication for HCC. Simultaneously, locoregional therapy for advanced HCC was found to be an effective procedure when used to distinguish potentially transplantable patients. This treatment approach, known as a downstaging strategy, has been developed over the last two decades and became an essential treatment option for locally advanced HCC. In this article, the current strategies of liver transplantation for the treatment of locally advanced HCC are reviewed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 356-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole E. Rich ◽  
Adam C. Yopp ◽  
Amit G. Singal

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) typically occurs in patients with advanced liver disease, so therapeutic decisions must account for the degree of underlying liver dysfunction and patient performance status in addition to tumor burden. Curative treatment options, including liver transplantation, surgical resection, and local ablative therapies, offer 5-year survival rates exceeding 60% but are restricted to patients with early-stage HCC. Surgical resection and local ablative therapies are also limited by high recurrence rates, highlighting a need for adjuvant and/or neoadjuvant therapies. A majority of patients with HCC are diagnosed beyond an early stage, when the tumor is no longer amenable to curative options. For patients with liver-localized HCC in whom curative options are not possible, transarterial therapies, either chemoembolization or radioembolization, can prolong survival but are rarely curative. Sorafenib and regorafenib are the only approved first-line and second-line systemic therapies, respectively, with a survival benefit for patients with advanced HCC; however, the benefit is primarily observed in patients with intact liver function and good performance status. There are several ongoing phase II and III trials evaluating novel systemic therapies, including immunotherapies. Patients with poor performance status or severe hepatic dysfunction do not derive any survival benefit from HCC-directed therapy and have a median survival of approximately 6 months. These patients should be treated with best supportive care, with a focus on maximizing quality of life. Multidisciplinary care has been shown to improve appropriateness of treatment decisions and overall survival and should be considered standard of care for patients with HCC.


2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 79
Author(s):  
Tsung-Han Wu ◽  
Yu-Chao Wang ◽  
Hao-Chien Hung ◽  
Jin-Chiao Lee ◽  
Chia-Ying Wu ◽  
...  

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurring at the left lateral segment (LLS) is relatively susceptible to treatment with curative intent in terms of tumor location. However, outcomes might vary depending on the selection of treatment modalities. This study aimed to analyze patients who had undergone curative treatment for early HCC at LLS. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 179 patients who underwent curative treatment for early HCC at LLS was performed. Patients were grouped based on treatment modalities, including radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and liver resection (LR). The long-term outcomes of the two groups were compared. Additionally, the impact of the LR approach on patient outcomes was analyzed. Results: Among these patients, 60 received RFA and 119 underwent LR as primary treatment with curative intent. During follow-up, a significantly higher incidence of HCC recurrence was observed in the RFA group (37/60, 61.7%) than in the LR group (45/119, 37.8%) (p = 0.0025). The median time of HCC recurrence was 10.8 (range: 1.1–60.9 months) and 17.6 (range: 2.4–94.8 months) months in the RFA and LR groups, respectively. In addition, multivariate analysis showed that liver cirrhosis, multiple tumors, and RFA treatment were significant risk factors for HCC recurrence. The 1-, 2-, and 5-year overall survival rates in the RFA and LR groups were 96.4%, 92.2%, and 71.5% versus 97.3%, 93.6%, and 87.7%, respectively. (p = 0.047). Moreover, outcomes related to LR were comparable between laparoscopic and conventional open methods. The 1-, 2-, and 5-year recurrence free survival rates in the laparoscopic (n = 37) and conventional open (n = 82) LR groups were 94.1%, 82.0%, and 66.9% versus 86.1%, 74.6%, and 53.1%, respectively. (p = 0.506) Conclusion: Early HCC at LLS had satisfactory outcomes after curative treatment, in which LR seems to have a superior outcome, as compared to RFA treatment. Moreover, laparoscopic LR could be considered a preferential option in the era of minimally invasive surgery.


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