Outcomes of transarterial embolization for large symptomatic focal nodular hyperplasia in 17 pediatric patients.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the safety and the long-term outcomes of transarterial embolization (TAE) with lipiodol-bleomycin emulsion (LBE) plus N-Butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA) in the treatment of children with large symptomatic focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH). METHODS: This is a retrospective case serial study. Children (aged <18 years) with FNH were treated. Indications for TAE were patients who were presenting with FNH related abdominal pain and the maximum diameter of FNH is more than 7 cm, and who were not candidates for surgical treatment. Technical success, adverse events, symptoms relief rate, and changes in the lesion size after TAE were evaluated. RESULTS: Between January 2003 and February 2018, 17 pediatric patients were included. Technical success was achieved in all patients. Mean follow-up was 67.5 months. All patients had complete resolution of abdominal symptom. The mean largest diameter of the lesions decreased from 10.5 cm to 1.9 cm (P < 0.01). The mean volume reduction rate was 96.9%. The complete resolution of the FNH was observed in 16 patients. No further therapy was needed for all patients. CONCLUSIONS: TAE with LBE plus NBCA appears to be a safe and effective treatment in pediatric patients with large symptomatic FNH. It could be considered as the first-line treatment for symptomatic large FNH.

The survival outcomes and prognostic factors of hepatocellular carcinoma among type 2 diabetes patients: a two-centre retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: To determine the survival outcomes and prognostic factors associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) survival in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study involving two hepatobiliary centres from January 1, 2012, to June 30, 2018. Medical records were analysed for sociodemographic, clinical characteristics, laboratory testing, and HCC treatment information. Survival outcomes were examined using the Kaplan-Meier and log-rank test. Prognostic factors were determined using multivariate Cox regression. RESULTS: A total of 212 patients were included in the study. The median survival time was 22 months. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 64.2%, 34.2%, and 18.0%, respectively. Palliative treatment (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] = 2.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.75-4.52), tumour size ≥ 5 cm (AHR = 2.02, 95%CI: 1.45-2.82), traditional medication (AHR = 1.94, 95%CI: 1.27-2.98), raised alkaline phosphatase (AHR = 1.74, 95%CI: 1.25-2.42), and metformin (AHR = 1.44, 95%CI: 1.03-2.00) were significantly associated with poor prognosis for HCC survival. Antiviral hepatitis treatment (AHR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.34-0.87), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (AHR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.30-0.84), and family history of malignancies (AHR = 0.50, 95%CI: 0.26-0.96) were identified as good prognostic factors for HCC survival. DISCUSSION: Traditional medication, metformin treatment, advanced stage and raised alkaline phosphatase were the poor prognostic factors, while antiviral hepatitis treatment, NAFLD, and family history of malignancies were the good prognostic factors for our HCC cases comorbid with T2D.

Comparative efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal injections combined with transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization in treatment of liver cancer: a bayesian network Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To address the optimal Chinese herbal injections (CHIs) against liver cancer, the present network Meta-analysis is designed to investigate the comparative efficacy and safety of different CHIs. METHODS: Several electronic databases were searched up to June 1st, 2017. The quality assessment was conducted and network Meta-analysis was performed to compare the efficacy and safety of different CHIs plus transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization (TACE). Primary outcomes were 1-year and 2-year survival rate, the secondary outcomes includes the clinical effective rate, performance status and the adverse reactions (ADRs). Data analysis was applied Stata 13.0 and WinBUGS 1.4 software. RESULTS: A total of 105 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were identified for inclusion in this analysis, with data for 7683 patients and 13 CHIs. The results suggested that Javanica oil emulsion, Huachansu injection plus TACE were more favorable for 1-year and 2-year survival rate than other CHIs. Kanglaite, Astragalus polysaccharide injection plus TACE showed superiority in the clinical effective rate and performance status over other CHIs. And Shenmai injection plus TACE was superior to reducing ADRs than other CHIs for patients with liver cancer. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicated that receiving CHIs combined with TACE may have therapeutic benefits for patients with liver cancer in improving survival rate, clinical effective rate, the performance status and alleviating the ADRs.

Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma：imaging features and experience in clinical diagnosis and treatment / 中国癌症杂志

Background and purpose:Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEHE) is an extremely rare, vascularly original tumor, and would be misdiagnosed easily in the clinical and imaging characteristics. This study aimed to investigate the imaging features of HEHE and our experience in clinical diagnosis and treatment, and to provide important reference for the diagnosis and treatment of HEHE in the future.Methods:This study retrospectively analyzed clinical manifestations, imaging features, pathological characteristics and treatment effects of 5 HEHE cases confirmed by pathology at Department of Integrative Cancer, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center.Results:The ratio of male to female patients was 2 to 3. HEHE predominantly occurred in middle-aged female patients whose ages range from 26 to 65 (mean=45.6). Imaging features of HEHE included multifocal hepatic disease (n=2), systemic multi-center multi-tissue occurrence (n=3). The ultrasound images showed isoechoic or hypoechoic lesions with no obvious blood lfow signal in the lesions. CT plain scan showed isointensity or hypointensity, while MR unenhanced with hypointense T1 signal and hyperintense T2 signal. The density or signal was uneven. Contrast-enhanced CT and MR images showed “slow in slow out”, obvious and variable degrees of peripheral rim enhancement. High FDG uptake showed delayed imaging characteristics (PET/CT). DSA angiography showed the tumor blood vessels were slim. After transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) surgery, lipiodol deposition within the lesion was not ideal. Under the microscope, tumor cells showed epithelial differentiation; angiogenesis was also visible. Immunohistochemistry staining showed CD31 and CD34 positive in all the 5 cases. Two cases treated with TACE combined with high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and/or radiofrequency ablation (RFA) had good result.Conclusion:The clinical and radio-logical characteristics of HEHE are distinctive. Currently, for patients with systemic multi-organizational multi-center lesions, TACE combined with HIFU and/or RFA might be the most effective treatment method.

Transarterial Chemoembolization of Giant Liver Haemangioma: A Multi-center Study with 836 Cases.

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with pingyangmycin-lipiodol emulsion for the treatment of symptomatic giant hepatic haemangioma. Four hospitals (The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Shandong Provincial Hospital and Jinan Municipal Hospital) participated in this study during 2002-2012. A total of 836 patients with symptomatic giant haemangioma were treated with pingyangmycin-lipiodol emulsion via selective TACE. The patients were followed-up for 12 months-10 years. The effectiveness of the treatment was evaluated by symptom assessments and upper abdominal magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography. TACE was successfully performed for a total of 1120 lesions in 836 patients. Success rate of the procedure was 100 %. The mean diameter of the haemangiomas was significantly reduced after the interventional therapy (mean diameter 9.6 ± 0.8 vs. 3.6 ± 0.5 cm; P < 0.05). Symptom relief was achieved in all the patients during the follow-up period. No mortality was identified. TACE with pingyangmycin-lipiodol emulsion is a safe, feasible, and effective treatment for the giant symptomatic hepatic haemangioma.

Clinical outcomes and prognostic factors of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with sorafenib as first-line therapy: a Korean multicenter study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Sorafenib is recommended as a standard treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The efficacy and safety of sorafenib as a first-line therapy in Korean patients with advanced HCC were investigated. METHODS: From 2007 to 2012, 86 patients with advanced HCC (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage C) treated with sorafenib as a first-line therapy were enrolled from five tertiary hospitals. Predictors of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed. RESULTS: The median age was 59.5 years, and 71 (82.6%) were males; 57 (66.3%) patients were in Child-Pugh class A. The median OS and PFS were 5.0 (range 4.0-5.9) and 3.2 (range 2.6-3.7) months, respectively. Regarding OS, Child-Pugh class A (6.0 vs 2.8 months), tumor diameter < 5 cm (6.0 vs 4.3 months), baseline α-fetoprotein < 200 ng/mL (5.8 vs 4.1 months), and the advent of hand-foot-skin reaction of ≥ grade 2 (5.9 vs 4.0 months) were independent favorable predictors (all P < 0.05). Similarly, regarding PFS, Child-Pugh class A (4.3 vs 2.1 months), tumor diameter < 5 cm (3.9 vs 2.8 months), baseline α-fetoprotein < 200 ng/mL (5.6 vs 2.8 months), and the advent of hand-foot-skin reaction of ≥ grade 2 (4.5 vs 2.6 months) were independent favorable predictors (all P < 0.05). All toxicities during sorafenib treatment were manageable. CONCLUSIONS: Because the efficacy of sorafenib seems marginal in Korean patients with treatment-naïve HCC, how to select candidates with favorable outcomes should be further investigated.

The Imaging Findings of Small(< or =15mm) Portal Defects in the Liver on CT Arterial Portography: Evaluationwith CT Hepatic Arteriography and Lipiodol CT

PURPOSE: To assess the malignant potential of small(< or =15mm) portal defects seen on CT arterial portography,the findings of CT hepatic arteriography and lipiodol CT CT were reviewed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 91 patientswho underwent both CTAP and CTHA, small portal defects were re-viewed for frequency, multiplicity and location. Weprospectively evauluated changes in the size and enhance-ment pattern of malignant lesions on follow up CTaccording to density on CTHA, location, lipiodol deposits on lipiodol CT, and multiplicity. RESULTS: Among the 91patients, 102 small defects were defected in 42 patients(46%). Small portal defects were benign, malignant, and ofundetermined malignant potential in 77%, 20% and 3% of cases, respectively. Small portal defects that werehyperattenuated on CTHA, and lipiodol deposits on lipiodol CT, were malignant in 42% and 70% of cases,respectively. Location and multiplicity did not show statistically significant variation between benign andmalignant defects. CONCLUSION: Small portal defects are common and there is a high probability that portaldefects smaller than 15mm are benign, even in patients with a known hepatic mass and defect that washyperattenuated on CTHA. If a small defect showed lipiodol deposit on lipiodol CT, malignancy must be suspected.