Dual HER2 Blockade: An Emerging Option in Metastatic Biliary Tract Cancer?

Biliary tract cancer (BTC) includes a heterogeneous group of aggressive and rare hepatobiliary malignancies, including gallbladder cancer, ampullary carcinomas, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, further subclassified into distal (dCCA) and perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA) [...]

Clinical characteristics and outcome of patients with enterococcal liver abscess

Epidemiology of bacteria isolated from pyogenic liver abscesses change, and an increase in enterococci has been reported in European hospitals. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcome of enterococcal PLA. We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with microbiologically confirmed PLA at three German university centers. Indicators of enterococcal PLA were determined using binary logistic regression, and survival analysis was performed using Kaplan–Meier statistics and Cox regression analysis. Enterococci were isolated in 51/133 (38%) patients with PLA. Patients with enterococcal PLA had smaller abscess diameter (4.8 vs. 6.7 cm, p = 0.03) than patients with non-enterococcal PLA, but had more frequent polymicrobial culture results. In univariate logistic regression analysis, alcohol abuse (OR 3.94, 95% CI 1.24–12.49, p = 0.02), hepatobiliary malignancies (OR 3.90, 95% CI 1.86–8.18, p < 0.001) and cirrhosis (OR 6.36, 95% CI 1.27–31.96, p = 0.02) were associated with enterococcal PLA. Patients with enterococcal PLA had a higher mortality than patients with non-enterococcal PLA (hazard ratio 2.92; 95% confidence interval 1.09–7.80; p = 0.03), which remained elevated even after excluding patients with hepatobiliary malignancies, cirrhosis, and transplant recipients in a sensitivity analysis. The increased mortality was associated with non-fecal enterococci but not in patients with Enterococcus faecalis. In this retrospective, multicenter study, enterococcal PLA was common and indicated an increased risk of mortality, underscoring the need for close clinical monitoring and appropriate treatment protocols in these patients.

Recent Advances in Photodynamic Imaging and Therapy in Hepatobiliary Malignancies: Clinical and Experimental Aspects

The therapeutic and diagnostic modalities of light are well known, and derivative photodynamic reactions with photosensitizers (PSs), specific wavelengths of light exposure and the existence of tissue oxygen have been developed since the 20th century. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an effective local treatment for cancer-specific laser ablation in malignancies of some organs, including the bile duct. Although curability for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is expected with surgery alone, patients with unresectable or remnant biliary cancer need other effective palliative therapies, including PDT. The effectiveness of PDT for cholangiocarcinoma has been reported experimentally or clinically, but it is not the standard option now due to problems with accompanied photosensitivity, limited access routes of irradiation, tumor hypoxia, etc. Novel derivative treatments such as photoimmunotherapy have not been applied in the field hepatobiliary system. Photodynamic diagnosis (PDD) has been more widely applied in the clinical diagnoses of liver malignancies or liver vascularization. At present, 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and indocyanine green (ICG) dyes are mainly used as PSs in PDD, and ICG has been applied for detecting liver malignancies or vascularization. However, no ideal tools for combining both PDD and PDT for solid tumors, including hepatobiliary malignancies, have been clinically developed. To proceed with experimental and clinical trials, it is necessary to clarify the effective photosensitive drugs that are feasible for photochemical diagnosis and local treatment.

Transplant Oncology: An Evolving Field in Cancer Care

Transplant oncology is an emerging concept of cancer treatment with a promising prospective outcome. The application of oncology, transplant medicine, and surgery to improve patients’ survival and quality of life is the core of transplant oncology. Hepatobiliary malignancies have been treated by liver transplantation (LT) with significant improved outcome. In addition, as the liver is the most common site of metastasis for colorectal cancer (CRC), patients with CRC who have stable unresectable liver metastases are good candidates for LT, and initial studies have shown improved survival compared to palliative systemic therapy. The indications of LT for hepatobiliary malignancies have been slowly expanded over the years in a stepwise manner; however, they have only been shown to improve patient survival in the setting of limited systemic therapy options. This review illustrates the concept and history of transplant oncology as an evolving field for the management of hepatocellular carcinoma, intrahepatic biliary cancer, and liver-only metastasis of non-hepatobiliary carcinoma. The utility of immunotherapy in the transplant setting is discussed as well as the feasibility of using circulating tumor DNA for surveillance post-transplantation.

Diagnosis and staging of hepatobiliary malignancies: Potential incremental value of (18)F-FDG-PET/MRI compared to MRI of the liver

Objective The purpose of the study was to investigate the potential added value of 18F-FDG-PET/MRI (functional information derived from PET) over standard diagnostic liver MRI (excellent soft tissue characterization) in diagnosing and staging suspected primary hepatobiliary malignancies including extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC), intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma (ICC) and gallbladder cancer (GBCA). Methods Twenty consecutive patients with suspected hepatobiliary malignancy were included in this retrospective study. All patients underwent combined whole-body (WB) 18F-FDG-PET/MRI including contrast-enhanced MRI of the liver, contrast-enhanced WB-MRI and WB 18F-FDG-PET. Two experienced readers staged hepatobiliary disease using TNM criteria: first based on MRI alone and then based on combined 18F-FDG-PET/MRI. Subsequently, the impact of FDG-PET/MRI on clinical management compared to MRI alone was recorded. Histopathologic proof served as the reference standard. Results Hepatobiliary neoplasms were present in 16/20 patients (ECC n = 3, ICC n = 8, GBCA n = 5), two patients revealed benign disease, two were excluded. TNM staging with 18F-FDG-PET/MRI was identical to MRI alone in 11/18 (61.1 %) patients and correctly changed the stage in 4/18 (22.2 %), resulting in a change in management for 2/4 patients (11.1 %). 18F-FDG-PET/MRI was false-positive in 3/18 cases (16.7 %). Both MRI and 18F-FDG-PET/MRI were falsely positive in 1 case without malignancy. Conclusions A small incremental benefit of 18F-FDG-PET/MRI over standard MRI of the liver was observed. However, in some cases 18F-FDG-PET/MRI may lead to false-positive findings. Overall there is seemingly limited role of 18F-FDG-PET/MRI in patients with suspected hepatobiliary malignancy.

Novel Targeted Therapies for Advanced Cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) includes a group of rare and aggressive hepatobiliary malignancies, including extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (eCCA) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), with the former further subdivided into distal (dCCA) and perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA) [...]