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Background: The accuracy of pathological factors to predict the prognosis of patients with ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma (rHCC) is unclear. We aimed to develop and validate a novel scoring system based on pathological factors to predict the postoperative survival of patients with rHCC., Method: Patients with rHCC who underwent hepatectomy were recruited from three hospitals and allocated to the training (n = 221) and validation (n = 194) cohorts. A new scoring system, namely the MSE (microvascular invasion-satellite foci-Edmondson Steiner) score, was established based on three pathological factors using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses, including microvascular invasion, satellite foci, and differentiation grade. Finally, patients were stratified into three groups based on their risk of prognosis (low, intermediate, or high) according to their MSE score. We also constructed MSE score-based nomograms. The performance of the nomograms was assessed by receiver operating characteristic and calibration curve analyses and validated using the validation cohort., Results: Three pathological factors were significantly correlated with overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS), three of which were included in the MSE score. The score can clearly stratify rHCC patients after hepatectomy (P < 0.05). And we established nomograms based on the MSE score (MSE score, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage, and alpha-fetoprotein concentration) to predict postoperative OS and RFS in patients with rHCC. The nomograms showed good discrimination, with C-indices over 0.760 for OS and RFS at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. The calibration curve showed excellent nomogram calibration, which was also verified in the validation cohort., Conclusion: The clinical MSE score were accurate in predicting OS and RFS in patients with rHCC with resectable lesions after hepatectomy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2024 Asian Surgical Association and Taiwan Society of Coloproctology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of anatomic resection (AR) versus non-anatomic resection (NAR) on recurrence rates in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)., Methods: Eligible patients were randomized to AR or NAR from January 2006 to July 2007 at a single center. The primary outcome was the 2-year recurrence-free survival (RFS). Secondary outcomes were postoperative complications, time to first recurrence, 1-, 3-, and 5-year RFS, and overall survival (OS)., Results: Fifty-three (51%) and 52 (50%) patients underwent NAR and AR, respectively. A larger proportion of patients achieved margins ≥20 mm in the AR group (52% vs. 30%; P = 0.023). Complications (blood loss, transfusion requirement, and hospital stay) were similar between the two groups. Median follow-up was 33 (range, 2-77) months. Incidence of local recurrence at 2 years was 30% and 59% in the AR and NAR groups, respectively. Median time to first local recurrence in the AR group was significantly longer than in the NAR group (53 vs. 10 months, P = 0.010). There was no difference in overall RFS between the two groups (P = 0.290)., Discussion: AR decreased the 2-year local recurrence rate and increased the time to first local recurrence compared to NAR in patients with HCC., (Copyright © 2017 International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: There is currently no clear consensus on the relative suitabilities of laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) as minimally invasive treatment for small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)., Methods: In this retrospective study, we enrolled 156 patients with a single, small HCC with nodular diameters <4 cm and compared recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) between patients treated with LH and control patients treated with RFA (n = 78 each). The groups were selected according to predefined criteria and matched in terms of their baseline clinical characteristics., Results: During a median follow-up of 31.2 months, the 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS rates in the LH group were 96.2, 91.3, and 84.1 %, respectively, compared with 96.2, 82.6, and 78.8 % in the RFA group. The corresponding RFS rates were 82.1, 71.5, and 60.0 % in the LH group and 65.4, 47.7, and 37.6 % in the RFA group. Combined RFS rates were significantly higher in the LH groups (P = 0.006), but there was no significant difference in OS rates (P = 0.510). The incidence of postoperative complications was significantly lower in the RFA group (28.2 vs. 10.3 %, P = 0.004), and operation duration, intraoperative blood loss and blood transfusion, use of total parenteral nutrition, and length of stay as indicators of minimal invasiveness were also significantly better in the RFA group., Conclusions: There was no difference between LH and RFA in terms of OS in patients with a single, small HCC. However, RFA was less invasive than the LH, but LH was associated with increased RFS.

Aim: To investigate the efficacy and safety of adjuvant sorafenib after curative resection for patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC)-stage C hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)., Methods: Thirty-four HCC patients, classified as BCLC-stage C, received adjuvant sorafenib for high-risk of tumor recurrence after curative hepatectomy at a tertiary care university hospital. The study group was compared with a case-matched control group of 68 patients who received curative hepatectomy for HCC during the study period in a 1:2 ratio., Results: The tumor recurrence rate was markedly lower in the sorafenib group (15/34, 44.1%) than in the control group (51/68, 75%, P = 0.002). The median disease-free survival was 12 mo in the study group and 10 mo in the control group. Tumor number more than 3, macrovascular invasion, hilar lymph nodes metastasis, and treatment with sorafenib were significant factors of disease-free survival by univariate analysis. Tumor number more than 3 and treatment with sorafenib were significant risk factors of disease-free survival by multivariate analysis in the Cox proportional hazards model. The disease-free survival and cumulative overall survival in the study group were significantly better than in the control group (P = 0.034 and 0.016, respectively)., Conclusion: Our study verifies the potential benefit and safety of adjuvant sorafenib for both decreasing HCC recurrence and extending disease-free and overall survival rates for patients with BCLC-stage C HCC after curative resection.

Aim: To assess the efficiency and safety of radiofrequency-assisted hepatectomy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cirrhosis., Methods: From January 2010 to December 2013, 179 patients with HCC and cirrhosis were recruited for this retrospective study. Of these, 100 patients who received radiofrequency-assisted hepatectomy (RF+ group) were compared to 79 patients who had hepatectomy without ablation (RF- group). The primary endpoint was intraoperative blood loss. The secondary endpoints included liver function, postoperative complications, mortality, and duration of hospital stay., Results: The characteristics of the two groups were closely matched. The Pringle maneuver was not used in the RF+ group. There was significantly less median intraoperative blood loss in the RF+ group (300 vs 400 mL, P = 0.01). On postoperative days (POD) 1 and 5, median alanine aminotransferase was significantly higher in the RF+ group than in the RF- group (POD 1: 348.5 vs 245.5, P = 0.01; POD 5: 112 vs 82.5, P = 0.00), but there was no significant difference between the two groups on POD 3 (260 vs 220, P = 0.24). The median AST was significantly higher in the RF+ group on POD 1 (446 vs 268, P = 0.00), but there was no significant difference between the two groups on POD 3 and 5 (POD 3: 129.5 vs 125, P = 0.65; POD 5: 52.5 vs 50, P = 0.10). Overall, the rate of postoperative complications was roughly the same in these two groups (28.0% vs 17.7%, P = 0.11) except that post hepatectomy liver failure was far more common in the RF+ group than in the RF- group (6% vs 0%, P = 0.04)., Conclusion: Radiofrequency-assisted hepatectomy can reduce intraoperative blood loss during liver resection effectively. However, this method should be used with caution in patients with concomitant cirrhosis because it may cause severe liver damage and liver failure.

The objective of this study was to compare the short- and long-term outcomes of radiofrequency-assisted liver resection (RFLR) and conventional clamp-crushing liver resection (CCLR) and to evaluate the safety and efficiency of RFLR. Between January 2008 and December 2012, a total of 597 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent curative hepatectomy were identified. A total of 272 patients underwent RFLR, and 325 patients received CCLR. The short- and long-term outcomes were compared. The patients in the RFLR and CCLR groups showed similar baseline characteristics. The RFLR group showed less intraoperative blood loss (485.5 vs. 763.2 mL, p = 0.003), a lower transfusion requirement rate (19.1 vs. 31.7%, p ≤ 0.01), shorter surgery duration (211 vs. 296 min, p ≤ 0.01) and a lower vascular inflow occlusion rate (25.7 vs. 33.8%, p = 0.032). No significant postoperative changes in bilirubin or liver enzymes were observed in the two groups. The degree of postoperative complications and morbidity did not significantly differ between the two groups. There were no significant differences in the 1-, 2- and 3-year overall survival rates (73.8%, 58.5%, and 55.7% vs. 80.8%, 65.8%, and 56.2%, respectively) or disease-free rates (51.9%, 47.2%, and 46.0% vs. 54.5%, 44.9%, and 38.5%, respectively) between the RFLR and CCLR groups. These results suggested RFLR was a safe and efficient method for patients with HCC. RFLR was associated with decreased blood loss, fewer blood transfusions, shorter surgery times and less vascular inflow occlusion application. The RFLR group did not show increased liver injury or postoperative morbidity or mortality.

Background and aim: The latest Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system suggests considering surgery in patients with resectable BCLC stage 0/A hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH). This study aimed to evaluate the safety and short- and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic hepatectomy for BCLC stage 0/A HCC patients with CSPH. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 647 HCC patients in BCLC stage 0/A who were treated at five centers between January 2010 and January 2019. Among these patients, 434 underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy, and 213 underwent open hepatectomy. We used Kaplan–Meier analysis to compare the overall survival (OS) rate and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate between patients with and without CSPH before and after propensity score matching (PSM). Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to identify prognostic factors for BCLC stage 0/A patients, and subgroup analyses were also conducted. Results: Among the 434 patients who underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy, 186 had CSPH and 248 did not. The Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that the OS and RFS rates were significantly worse in the CSPH group before and after PSM. Multivariate Cox regression analyses identified CSPH as a prognostic factor for poor OS and RFS after laparoscopic hepatectomy. However, CSPH patients treated laparoscopically had a better short- and long-term prognosis than those treated with open surgery. Conclusions: CSPH has a negative impact on the prognosis of BCLC stage 0/A HCC patients after laparoscopic hepatectomy. Laparoscopic hepatectomy is still recommended for treatment, but careful patient selection is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Clinical work has revealed that hepatectomy for resectable ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma (rHCC) has a relatively high percentage of positive resection margins found in postoperative pathology. It is necessary to evaluate the risk factors associated with R1 resection in patients undergoing hepatectomy for rHCC. Methods: A total of 408 patients with resectable rHCC originating from three centers undergoing surgery from January 2012 to January 2020 were consecutively enrolled in the study to study the prognostic impact of R1 resection using Kaplan–Meier plotting of survival curves. One center with 280 served as the training group, and the other two centers served as the validation group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis screened for variables affecting R1 and developed prediction models, and the models were tested in the validation cohort using the receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) and calibration curves. Results: The prognosis of rHCC patients with positive cut margins was worse than that of patients with R0 resection. Risk factors for R1 resection were tumor max length (OR = 2.668 [1.161–6.131]), microvascular invasion (MVI) (OR = 3.655 [1.766–7.566]), times of hepatic inflow occlusion (1/0:OR = 2.213 [1.113–4.399]; 2/0:OR = 5.723 [2.010–8.289]) and timing of hepatectomy (OR = 5.284 [2.394–9.661]), using tumor max length, times of HIO, and timing of hepatectomy to construct the nomogram, the area under the curve of the model was 0.810 (0.781–0.842) and 0.782 (0.752–0.805) in the training and validation groups, respectively, and the calibration curve of the model was basically on the 45° line. Conclusions: This study constructs a clinical model to predict R1 resection after hepatectomy for resectable rHCC, which can be used to better plan perioperative strategies for the incidence of R1 resection during hepatectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The liver function reserve of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is heterogeneous. The preoperative accurate evaluation of liver function has a vital role in the prevention of unfavorable postoperative complications such as post-hepatectomy liver failure. In this study, unsupervised clustering analysis of radiomics features extracted from preoperative gadoxetic-acid-enhanced MRIs was performed for liver function stratification on 276 HCC patients. Two distinct subgroups were identified (i.e., subgroups 1 and 2). Subgroup 2 had impaired liver function as presented by older age, more albumin–bilirubin grades 2 and 3, and a higher indocyanine green retention rate than that of subgroup 1 (all p < 0.05). Compared with subgroup 1, subgroup 2 was associated with a higher risk of postoperative liver failure, postoperative complications, and longer hospital stays (all p < 0.05). Our findings indicate the potential for the use of radiomics features based on preoperative gadoxetic-acid-enhanced MRI for noninvasive liver function assessment in HCC patients. Objective: To identify subgroups of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with different liver function reserves using an unsupervised machine-learning approach on the radiomics features from preoperative gadoxetic-acid-enhanced MRIs and to evaluate their association with the risk of post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF). Methods: Clinical data from 276 consecutive HCC patients who underwent liver resections between January 2017 and March 2019 were retrospectively collected. Radiomics features were extracted from the non-tumorous liver tissue at the gadoxetic-acid-enhanced hepatobiliary phase MRI. The reproducible and non-redundant features were selected for consensus clustering analysis to detect distinct subgroups. After that, clinical variables were compared between the identified subgroups to evaluate the clustering efficacy. The liver function reserve of the subgroups was compared and the correlations between the subgroups and PHLF, postoperative complications, and length of hospital stay were evaluated. Results: A total of 107 radiomics features were extracted and 37 were selected for unsupervised clustering analysis, which identified two distinct subgroups (138 patients in each subgroup). Compared with subgroup 1, subgroup 2 had significantly more patients with older age, albumin–bilirubin grades 2 and 3, a higher indocyanine green retention rate, and a lower indocyanine green plasma disappearance rate (all p < 0.05). Subgroup 2 was also associated with a higher risk of PHLF, postoperative complications, and longer hospital stays (>18 days) than that of subgroup 1, with an odds ratio of 2.83 (95% CI: 1.58–5.23), 2.41(95% CI: 1.15–5.35), and 2.14 (95% CI: 1.32–3.47), respectively. The odds ratio of our method was similar to the albumin–bilirubin grade for postoperative complications and length of hospital stay (2.41 vs. 2.29 and 2.14 vs. 2.16, respectively), but was inferior for PHLF (2.83 vs. 4.55). Conclusions: Based on the radiomics features of gadoxetic-acid-enhanced MRI, unsupervised clustering analysis identified two distinct subgroups with different liver function reserves and risks of PHLF in HCC patients. Future studies are required to validate our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Large hepatocellular carcinoma (LHCC) is prone to short‐term recurrence and poor long‐term survival after hepatectomy, and there is still a lack of effective neoadjuvant treatments to improve recurrence‐free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). We retrospectively analyzed the efficacy of preoperative transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in solitary LHCC (≥5 cm). Materials and Methods: A multicenter medical database was used to analyze preoperative TACE's effects on RFS, OS, and perioperative complications in patients with solitary LHCC who received surgical treatment from January 2005 to December 2015. The patients were divided into Group A (5.0–9.9 cm) and Group B (≥10 cm), with 10 cm as the critical value, and the effect of preoperative TACE on RFS, OS and perioperative complications was assessed in each subgroup. Results: In the overall population, patients with preoperative TACE had better RFS and OS than those without preoperative TACE. However, after stratifying the patients into the two HCC groups, preoperative TACE only improved the survival outcomes of patients with Group B (≥10 cm). Multivariate Cox‐regression analysis showed that lack of preoperative TACE was an independent risk factor for RFS and OS in the overall population and in Group B but not in Group A. Conclusions: Preoperative TACE is beneficial for patients with solitary HCC (≥10 cm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of currently clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) for patients with early-stage HCC after surgery remains controversial. The purpose of this study is to understand the specific effect of CSPH on patients with early-stage (BCLC A stage) HCC after surgery. We collected data from 386 HCC patients treated at two centers from December 2009 to January 2017.224 patients (all treated by hepatectomy) were in BCLC stage A, of which, 122 had no CSPH, and 102 had CSPH. There were 162 patients in BCLC stage B (who underwent surgery, TACE, and conservative treatment). The prognosis of the CSPH and non-CSPH groups in BCLC stage A was compared using the Kaplan-Meier method. We used multivariate Cox regression to analyze prognostic factors in patients in BCLC stage A and compared the prognosis of the two groups with the BCLC stage B group. Among the 224 BCLC stage A patients after surgery, the overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) of the CSPH group were worse than those of the non-CSPH group (P < 0.001, HR = 2.340[1.554–3.523]; P < 0.001, HR = 2.577[1.676–3.812]) The multivariate Cox proportional hazards model indicated that CSPH was an independent prognostic factor for OS and RFS in BCLC stage A patients. BCLC stage A patients with CSPH treated by hepatectomy had a comparable prognosis to BCLC B stage patients (P = 0.378), and the OS and RFS (P = 0.229; P = 0.077) in the CSPH (BCLC A) group were also comparable to BCLC stage B patients treated with surgery alone. CSPH can affect the surgical prognosis of early-stage (BCLC stage A) HCC. BCLC stage A patients with CSPH have a prognosis comparable to patients with BCLC stage B. An additional stage, such as the BCLC stage A-B, can be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma (rHCC) generally has a very poor prognosis and is currently classified as T4 in the tumor–node–metastasis (TNM) staging system. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the actual impact of rHCC, as well as the positive effect of hepatectomy in patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage 0/A rHCC. We enrolled 86 patients with rHCC after surgery and 526 patients with non-rHCC after surgery or transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan–Meier method to compare the postoperative prognosis of patients with rHCC with that of patients with non-rHCC. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify the risk factors affecting patient survival. BCLC stage 0/A rHCC treated with surgery had a worse prognosis than BCLC stage 0/A non-rHCC treated with surgery (overall survival [OS]: hazard ratio [HR] = 3.12 [2.24–4.34], P < 0.001; recurrence-free survival [RFS]: HR = 2.26 [1.65–3.09], P < 0.001). Rupture was an independent prognostic factor in patients with BCLC stage 0/A rHCC (OS: HR = 1.685 [1.416–2.006], P < 0.001; RFS: HR = 1.484 [1.267–1.737], P < 0.001), and patients with BCLC stage 0/A rHCC who underwent surgery had a comparable prognosis to patients with BCLC stage B HCC who underwent surgery or TACE (OS: P = 0.78). Patients classified as having BCLC stage 0/A rHCC can achieve comparable outcomes to patients with BCLC stage B HCC after hepatectomy. However, not all patients with rHCC should be classified as T4 in the TNM staging system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. This research is aimed at establishing a scoring system alpha-fetoprotein+alkaline phosphatase (A-A score) based on preoperative serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels and to investigate its clinical significance in patients with ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma (rHCC) after hepatectomy. Methods. 175 ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients treated with hepatectomy were included. Survival analysis was assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Prognostic factors were analyzed in a multivariate model. Preoperative serum AFP and ALP values are assigned a score of 1 if they exceed the threshold value and 0 if they are below the threshold value, A-A score is obtained by summing the scores of two variables (AFP, ALP), and the predictive values of AFP, ALP, and A-A score were compared by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis, and subgroup analyses were performed to further evaluate the power of A-A scores. Results. Of the 175 patients, 67 (38.3%) had an A-A score of 0, 72 (41.1%) had an A-A score of 1, and 36 (20.6%) had an A-A score of 2. In multivariate analysis, the A-A score, the BCLC stage, and the extent of resection were independent predictors of OS in patients with rHCC. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS and RFS in patients with an A-A score of 1 were better than those with an A-A score of 0 and worse than those with an A-A score of 1 (all p < 0.05). Based on the results of ROC analysis, the A-A score is superior to AFP or ALP alone in predicting the prognosis of patients with ruptured HCC. In subgroup analysis, A-A score could accurately predict the prognosis of patients with or without microvascular invasion (MVI) and with different Child-Pugh grades or gender. Conclusions. The A-A score can effectively predict the prognosis of patients after hepatectomy of ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma. At the same time, it also has good evaluation ability in different subgroups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]