Biopsy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: results of a multicentre UK audit.

BACKGROUND: Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is commonly diagnosed using non-invasive radiological criteria (NIRC) defined by the European Association for the Study of the Liver or the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. In 2017, The National Institute for Clinical Excellence mandated histological confirmation of disease to authorise the use of sorafenib in the UK. METHODS: This was a prospective multicentre audit in which patients suitable for sorafenib were identified at multidisciplinary meetings. The primary analysis cohort (PAC) was defined by the presence of Child-Pugh class A liver disease and performance status 0-2. Clinical, radiological and histological data were reported locally and collected on a standardised case report form. RESULTS: Eleven centres reported 418 cases, of which 361 comprised the PAC. Overall, 76% had chronic liver disease and 66% were cirrhotic. The diagnostic imaging was computed tomography in 71%, magnetic resonance imaging in 27% and 2% had both. Pre-existing histology was available in 45 patients and 270 underwent a new biopsy, which confirmed HCC in 93.4%. Alternative histological diagnoses included cholangiocarcinoma (CC) and combined HCC-CC. In cirrhotic patients, NIRC criteria had a sensitivity of 65.4% and a positive predictive value of 91.4% to detect HCC. Two patients (0.7%) experienced mild post-biopsy bleeding. CONCLUSION: The diagnostic biopsy is safe and feasible for most patients eligible for systemic therapy.

Duodenal neuroendocrine tumour associated with minimal change glomerulonephritis.

Paraneoplastic glomerular disease is an increasingly well-recognised entity, and a wide range of both solid and haematological malignancies have been implicated. The most common glomerular disease associated with cancer is membranous nephropathy. Only a few case reports have described an association between neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) and glomerulonephritis and only one paediatric case in relation to minimal change disease. A 76-year-old woman with a well-differentiated duodenal NET presented with nephrotic syndrome and renal biopsy was suggestive of minimal change glomerulonephritis. Standard therapy with corticosteroids brought little benefit, but a dramatic improvement was seen following initiation of systemic anticancer therapy with lanreotide, a somatostatin analogue. Less than 1 month after initiation of lanreotide, the patient was no longer in a nephrotic state, and after a further 2 months of follow-up had shown no sign of relapse.

Increased risk of breast cancer in neurofibromatosis type 1: current insights.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant condition caused by mutation/deletion of the NF1 gene. The gene product, neurofibromin, is a tumor suppressor which represses the activity of the Ras oncogene. Central nervous system (CNS) tumors have long been associated with NF1, but their association with several other malignancies has been demonstrated. In this review, we summarize the epidemiological data that irrefutably support a link between NF1 and an increased risk of early-onset breast cancer, to levels at which annual mammography is currently recommended in national high-risk screening programs. We discuss the reasons for the observed adverse breast cancer prognosis in NF1 cases, including late presentation and more aggressive tumor subtypes, and recommend that a collaborative breast screening study be initiated to better serve this currently underserved population of women.