Novel Models Predict Postsurgical Recurrence and Overall Survival for Patients with Hepatitis B Virus-Related Solitary Hepatocellular Carcinoma ≤10 cm and Without Portal Venous Tumor Thrombus.

BACKGROUND: The predictive model of postsurgical recurrence for solitary early hepatocellular carcinoma (SE-HCC) is not well established. The aim of this study was to develop a novel model for prediction of postsurgical recurrence and survival for patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related SE-HCC ≤10 cm. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data from 1,081 patients with HBV-related SE-HCC ≤10 cm who underwent curative liver resection from 2003 to 2016 in our center were collected retrospectively and randomly divided into the derivation cohort (n = 811) and the internal validation cohort (n = 270). Eight hundred twenty-three patients selected from another four tertiary hospitals served as the external validation cohort. Postsurgical recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) predictive nomograms were generated. The discriminatory accuracies of the nomograms were compared with six conventional hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) staging systems. RESULTS: Tumor size, differentiation, microscopic vascular invasion, preoperative α-fetoprotein, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, albumin-to-bilirubin ratio, and blood transfusion were identified as the risk factors associated with RFS and OS. RFS and OS predictive nomograms based on these seven variables were generated. The C-index was 0.83 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79-0.87) for the RFS-nomogram and 0.87 (95% CI, 0.83-0.91) for the OS-nomogram. Calibration curves showed good agreement between actual observation and nomogram prediction. Both C-indices of the two nomograms were substantially higher than those of the six conventional HCC staging systems (0.54-0.74 for RFS; 0.58-0.76 for OS) and those of HCC nomograms reported in literature. CONCLUSION: The novel nomograms were shown to be accurate at predicting postoperative recurrence and OS for patients with HBV-related SE-HCC ≤10 cm after curative liver resection. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This multicenter study proposed recurrence or mortality predictive nomograms for patients with hepatitis B virus-related solitary early hepatocellular carcinoma ≤10 cm after curative liver resection. A close postsurgical surveillance protocol and adjuvant therapy should be considered for patients at high risk of recurrence.

Anterior approach to improve the long-term outcome in patients with large-size hepatocellular carcinoma having liver resection.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: A prospective study was conducted to investigate the effect of anterior approach for hepatectomy on long-term outcome of HCC patients with different tumor size. METHODS: Long-term outcomes were investigated between patients with different tumor size underwent liver resection by either anterior or conventional approach (i.e., AA or CA group). RESULTS: The recurrence rate in AA group was much lower than that in CA group (52.4% vs.73.1%, P = 0.001). The survival rate in AA group was much higher than that in CA group (60.0% vs. 38.0%, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the differences in recurrence and survival rates in patients with large-size tumor (>5 cm) between AA and CA groups were significant (80.0% vs. 54.7%, P = 0.002; 25.0% vs. 54.2%, P = 0.001, respectively), whereas the differences in tumor recurrence and survival rates in patients with small-size tumor between the two groups (≤5 cm) were not significant (64.6% vs. 50.0%, P = 0.141; 56.3% vs. 65.4%, P = 0.349, respectively). Multivariate analysis found that convention approach for hepatectomy was one of the independent risk factors for HCC recurrence and poor survival. CONCLUSIONS: Prognosis of patients with large-size HCC tumor with the anterior approach was superior to that with the conventional approach. Large-size tumor (>5 cm) could be the clinical indicator for anterior approach for hepatectomy. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;114:872-878. © 2016 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Impact of intermittent portal clamping on the early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after surgery.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of intermittent portal clamping (IPC) during surgery on the early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: The subjects of this retrospective study were 266 patients who underwent curative liver resection for HCC. The patients were grouped as follows: an intermittent portal clamping (IPC) group, n = 78; a continuous portal clamping (CPC) group, n = 128; and a non-portal clamping (NPC) group, n = 60. RESULTS: The median recurrence-free interval within 2 years of follow-up was significantly shorter in the IPC group (14.2 ± 4.6 months) than in the CPC group (18.0 ± 4.8 months, P = 0.008) or the NPC group (19.04 ± 4.1 months, P = 0.023). Moreover, 2-year recurrence-free survival was much lower in the IPC group than in the CPC group (63.6 vs. 75.8 %, P = 0.025) or the NPC group (63.6 vs. 78.0 %, P = 0.030). However, the 2-year OS rate among the three groups was comparable (72.7 vs. 79.9 %; P = 0.101) and 83.1 %, (P = 0.125). According to univariable analysis, tumor size (>5 cm), tumor number (≥2), tumor grade (low/undifferentiated), TNM stage (III), vascular infiltration, blood transfusion, and IPC were significantly associated with the early postoperative recurrence of HCC. After multivariate analysis, significance of tumor grade (low/undifferentiated) and TNM stage (III) disappeared, whereas tumor size (>5 cm), tumor number (≥2), vascular infiltration, blood transfusion, and IPC remained significant. CONCLUSIONS: IPC is an independent risk factor for the early recurrence of HCC after surgery.

Anterior Approach to Improve the Prognosis in HCC Patients Via Decreasing Dissemination of EpCAM+ Circulating Tumor Cells.

BACKGROUND: It is supposed that the improvement of prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patient by anterior approach for liver resection was related to the decreasing hematogenic dissemination of circulating cancer cells. METHODS: The EpCAM+ circulating tumor cells (CTCs) were detected in HCC patients having liver resection with either anterior approach (AA) or conventional approach (CA). The relation of CTCs to the 2-year recurrence and survival after surgery was investigated. RESULTS: Overall, patients with ≥3.5 CTCs had much higher recurrence rate than those with <3.5 CTCs (62.0 vs. 18.0%, P = 0.001). Less CTCs were detected in AA group than that in CA group (mean, 2.1 vs. 3.0; median, 1.2 vs. 3.5; all P = 0.001). The 2-year recurrence rate in AA group was much lower than in CA group (27.1 vs. 44.9%, P = 0.009). The 2-year survival rate in AA group was much higher than in CA group (83.3 vs. 66.7%, P = 0.001). The CTCs in >5 cm AA group were much less than that in >5 cm CA group (3.7 vs. 2.4, P = 0.002). Moreover, the 2-year recurrence rate in >5 cm AA group was much lower than that in >5 cm CA group (29.2 vs. 54.7%, P = 0.001). Also, the 2-year survival rates in >5 cm AA group were much higher than that in >5 cm CA group (72.9 vs. 49.1%, P = 0.01). By multivariate analysis, CA is one of the independent risk factors for poor prognosis in HCC patients after liver resection. CONCLUSIONS: Like the liver-directed therapies, AA can reduce the dissemination of CTCs, especially in patients with large-size HCC (>5 cm) and successively improve the early prognosis.

Distinct Recurrence Risk Factors for Intrahepatic Metastasis and Multicenter Occurrence After Surgery in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Intrahepatic recurrence after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) includes intrahepatic metastasis (IM) and multicenter occurrence (MO). The risk factors for these two types of intrahepatic recurrence have not been well defined. METHODS: The type of intrahepatic recurrence was determined based on histopathological features of 93 HCC patients who underwent a repeat hepatectomy for recurrent HCC. Various clinical and pathological factors were analyzed to define distinct risk factors for different types of intrahepatic recurrence. RESULTS: The recurrence rates at 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8 years postoperatively were 22.4, 42.9, 61.2, 85.7, and 100 %, respectively, in patients with IM and 5.0, 25.0, 45.5, 67.5, and 100 %, respectively, in patients with MO (p = 0.005). A total of 16 clinical and pathological factors were tested in univariable and multivariable analyses. We found that large-size tumor (>5 cm), multiple tumors (two or more), and vascular invasion were significantly associated with IM recurrence, and liver cirrhosis and Ishak hepatic inflammatory activity were highly associated with MO recurrence. In addition, blood transfusion and a high hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA load (>2000 IU/ml) were independent risk factors common to both IM and MO recurrences. CONCLUSIONS: IM and MO recurrences were associated with distinct risk factors, while blood transfusion and high HBV-DNA load (>2000 IU/ml) were independent risk factors common to both IM and MO recurrences.

[Chemoembolization of bilateral internal iliac arteries in Miles operation].

OBJECTIVE: To prospectively investigate the efficacy of chemoembolization of bilateral internal iliac arteries in patients underwent Miles operation. METHODS: One hundred and thirteen patients with rectal cancer were randomly classified into 2 groups. The chemoembolization of bilateral internal iliac arteries with anticancer agents and gelatin sponge particles was applied during Miles operation in the treatment group (68 cases), while Miles operation was performed in the control group (45 cases). The amount of intraoperative bleeding, the operation time, the incidence of local recurrence, and the 5 year survival rate were analyzed and compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: The complications and the operation time had not significantly different in both groups (P > 0. 05); the amount of bleeding and the incidence of local pelvic recurrence were less, and the 5 year survival rate was higher in the treatment group than that in the control group (P <0.05). CONCLUSION: In Miles operation of rectal cancer, the chemoembolization of bilateral internal iliac arteries is a safe and effective therapy, and it can improve the efficacy of rectal cancer both in the short and long run.