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Primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy with high morbidity and mortality. Despite progress in systemic therapies, survival in advanced HCC remains poor due to patient heterogeneity and individual differences, necessitating a personalized approach rather than relying solely on guidelines. Here, we present an exceptional case study in which a systematic regimen without immune checkpoint inhibitors was chosen based on the patient's specific genetic test results. Remarkably effective with long-term survival benefits were observed as a result. This case underscores the importance of incorporating tumor profiling and personalized treatment plans, in addition to adhering to guidelines and standards, for delivering more efficacious and well-tolerated therapeutic options to patients with liver cancer.

BackgroundMinimally invasive techniques have significantly gained popularity for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on the Milan criteria. However, whether or not laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) or radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a better treatment option remains debatable. We conducted a meta-analysis to review the published data comparing LLR and RFA for HCC through Milan criteria depending on tumor recurrence risk and survival.MethodsPubMed, OvidSP, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception to December 31, 2023. The studies comparing the outcomes and methods between LLR and RFA for HCC within the Milan criteria were included.ResultsWe recruited 19 cohort studies with 2532 patients. The postoperative complication rate was low, and hospital stays were shorter in the RFA group than in the LLR group. The total tumor recurrence, the local tumor recurrence rate, and the intrahepatic tumor recurrence rate were lower within the LLR group than in the RFA group. There was no significant difference in the extrahepatic recurrence rate between the two groups. Moreover, no significant differences were observed between the groups concerning 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) and 1-year recurrence-free survival (RFS). However, 3-year and 5-year RFS were better within the LLR group than among the RFA group.ConclusionsThe treatment of HCC within the Milan criteria is moving toward multidisciplinary and minimally invasive approaches. Our meta-analysis identified a lower postoperative complication rate and higher recurrence rate for RFA than LLR. RFA could be an alternative treatment due to its comparable long-term efficacy with LLR.

BackgroundSpontaneously ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma (rHCC) with hemorrhage is characterized by rapid onset and progression. The aim of this systematic review was to explore the current studies on rHCC with hemorrhage and determine the optimum treatment strategy.MethodThe PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched for studies reporting survival outcomes with comparison between emergency resection (ER) and transarterial embolization following staged hepatectomy (SH) were included by inclusion and exclusion criteria, the perioperative and survival data were statistically summarized using Review Manager 5.3 software.ResultA total of 8 retrospective studies were included, with a total sample size of 556, including 285 (51.3%) in the ER group and 271 (48.7%) in the SH group. The perioperative blood loss and blood transfusion volume in the SH group were less than those in the ER group, and there were no significant differences in the operative time, incidence of complications, mortality and recurrence rate of tumors between the two groups. The 1-, 2-, 3-year overall survival and 1-, 2-, 3-, 5-year disease-free survival of the ER group were not significantly different from those of the SH group, and the 5-year overall survival rate of ER group was lower than that of the SH group (hazard ratios=1.52; 95% confidence intervals: 1.14-2.03, P=0.005).ConclusionThere was no significant difference in the short-term efficacy of ER or SH in the treatment of ruptured HCC, and SH was superior to ER in the long-term survival.

Extramammary Paget’s disease (EMPD) is a rare cutaneous neoplasm with distant metastases and a poor prognosis. We report the case of a 63-year-old male patient exhibiting stage IV primary EMPD with neuroendocrine differentiation, and harboring a somatic mutation in AMER1. After four cycles of Anlotinib combined with Tislelizumab, the patient achieved partial response for the metastatic lesions according to mRECIST1.1 criteria. Total positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET-CT) scans revealed a significant reduction in SUV from 18.9 to 5.3, and the serum CEA decreased to normal levels after the treatment regimen. However, the patient developed fractures of the fourth and fifth thoracic vertebrae during the treatment. Therefore, percutaneous vertebroplasty was performed, and the patient experienced severe postoperative pneumonia and died from pulmonary encephalopathy and respiratory failure in June 2021. The overall and progression-free survival of the patient after diagnosis were 9 and 8 months, respectively. During the systemic treatment, the patient suffered grade 1 rash in the back and thigh and grade 1 hypertension. Nevertheless, the combination treatment of anlotinib and tislelizumab had a favorable clinical outcome and provided a survival advantage, and should be considered a therapeutic option for patients with AMER1-mutant metastatic EMPD.

BackgroundThe spontaneous rupture of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with high mortality rates, and liver resection can provide better outcomes than other available treatments. However, the survival length of patients subjected to hepatectomy after spontaneous rupture of hepatocellular carcinoma remains controversial.MethodArticles reporting the comparison of the survival outcome between patients with rupture HCC (rHCC) and non-rupture HCC (nrHCC) from the inception until December 31, 2021 by PubMed, Web of Science, OVID, and the Cochrane Library databases were included. The high-quality propensity score matching analysis was used to investigate the impact of rupture on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) between the rHCC and nrHCC group with no heterogeneity.ResultA total of 606 patients from six cohort studies were included. The major baseline characteristics of the eligible patients were well balanced between rHCC and nrHCC group. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year hazard ratios of DFS were 3.45 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.54–4.68), 3.63 (95% CI 2.87–4.60), and 3.72 (95% CI 2.93–4.72), respectively. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year hazard ratios of OS were 5.01 (95% CI 3.26–7.69), 5.49 (95% CI 4.08–7.39), and 4.20 (95% CI 3.20–5.51), respectively.ConclusionThe present meta-analysis demonstrated that the DSF and OS were significantly shorter in the rHCC group than in the nrHCC group, thus revealing that spontaneous HCC rupture was a predictor of poor survival.

Background: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a curative modality for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients who are not suitable for resection. It remains controversial whether a surgical or percutaneous approach is more appropriate for HCC.Method: A search was performed on the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases from the date of database inception until April 17, 2021. Studies reporting outcomes of comparisons between surgical RFA (SRFA) and percutaneous RFA (PRFA) were included in this study. The meta-analysis was performed using the Review Manager 5.3 and Stata 12.0 software.Result: A total of 10 retrospective studies containing 12 cohorts, involving 740 patients in the PRFA group and 512 patients in the SRFA group, were selected. Although the tumor size in PRFA group was smaller than the SRFA group (p = 0.007), there was no significant difference in complete ablation rate between the SRFA and PRFA groups (95.63% and 97.33%, respectively; Odds ratio [OR], 0.56; 95% confidence intervals [CI], 0.26–1.24; p = 0.15). However, the SRFA group showed a significantly lower local tumor recurrence than the PRFA group in the sensitivity analysis (28.7% in the PRFA group and 21.79% in the SRFA group, respectively; OR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.14–2.95; p = 0.01). Pooled analysis data showed that the rate of severe perioperative complications did not differ significantly between the PRFA and SRFA groups (14.28% and 12.11%, respectively; OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 0.67-2.53; p = 0.44). There was no significant difference in the 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates, as well as the 1- and 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) between the PRFA and SRFA groups. The 5-year DFS of the PRFA group was significantly lower than the SRFA group (hazard ratio 0.73; 95% CI 0.54–0.99).Conclusion: Based on our meta-analysis, the surgical route was superior to PRFA in terms of local control rate. Furthermore, the surgical approach did not increase the risk of major complications.

BackgroundNivolumab and pembrolizumab disrupt the programmed cell death-1 immune checkpoint and display promising efficacy and safety results in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the benefits remain limited. The preliminary results of lenvatinib (LEN) combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) reveal that the combinations were well-tolerated and encouraging. This study aimed to analyze the safety and efficacy of LEN plus ICIs in a real-world cohort of patients with advanced HCC.MethodBetween June 4, 2017, and June 30, 2019, 16 patients received LEN plus nivolumab, and 13 patients were treated with LEN plus pembrolizumab, with the confirmed advanced HCC retrospectively analyzed. The clinical parameters, as well as the outcomes, were assessed.ResultsAll the patients had Barcelona Clinical Liver Cancer Stage C. LEN with ICIs was used as systemic second-, third-, and fourth-line treatments in seven (24.1%), 14 (48.3%), and eight (27.6%) patients, respectively. At the time of data cutoff, six patients (37.5%) were still receiving LEN with nivolumab, while another six patients (46.2%) were still receiving LEN with pembrolizumab. An objective response was recorded in seven patients (25.9%), while the best overall responses were from one complete response and six partial responses. The 6- and 12-month over survival (OS) rates were 62.6% and 53.7%, respectively. Furthermore, the 6- and 12-month progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 43.5% and 31.8%, respectively. In the subgroup analyses, the 6- and 12-month OS and PFS rates for patients treated with LEN plus nivolumab were 62.5% and 52.1%, respectively, and 43.8% and 30.0%, respectively. The 6- and 12-month OS and PFS rates for patients treated with LEN plus pembrolizumab were 51.3% and 51.3%, respectively, and 49.2% and 49.2%, respectively. A total of 11 (31%) deaths were reported in this study, four of which were attributed to grade 5 adverse events presented as fatal treatment-related hepatitis.ConclusionThe combination of LEN and ICIs is a promising new strategy for the treatment of HCC patients. However, high-grade hepatic toxicity was observed and further evaluation of this combination is still required.

Pancreatic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a rare primary pancreatic malignancy with a poor prognosis. The median overall survival (OS) for metastatic setting is only 4 months and the optimal management remains poorly defined. In the present study, we report a 52-year-old female patient with stage IV primary SCC of the pancreas harboring a deleteous BRCA2 somatic mutation. After 10 cycles of chemotherapy of cisplatin combined with nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel, metastatic lesions in the liver and lymph nodes achieved radiographic complete responses and pancreatic lesion shrank from 5.7 to 1.5 cm in diameter. The patient subsequently underwent a posterior radical antegrade modular pancreatosplenectomy with R0 resection and residual liver lesions were also resected. After 3 months, a tumor relapsed in the liver. She was then treated with olaparib combined with pembrolizumab and achieved stable disease on the liver lesion. The patient eventually died from cerebral hemorrhage with a long OS of 21 months. Our case demonstrated a favorable clinical activity and survival advantage of the combined cisplatin and nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel, which might serve as a therapeutic option for the patient with BRCA-mutant pancreatic SCC.

Objectives The prognosis of people with pancreatic cancer is extremely unfavorable. However, the prognostic factors remain largely undefined. We aimed to perform comprehensive analyses of clinicopathologic characteristics, laboratory parameters, and treatment protocols for exploring their role as prognostic factors of pancreatic cancer. Methods Patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and hospitalized at the China National Cancer Center between April 2006 and May 2016 were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. Clinicopathologic characteristics, laboratory parameters, and treatment protocols were compared among patients at different stages of the disease. The association between these factors and overall survival (OS) was analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model. Results The present study included 1,433 consecutive patients with pancreatic cancer. Median OS was 10.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.8–11.3 months), with 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates of 43.7%, 14.8%, and 8.8%, respectively. Cox multivariate analysis findings identified the following factors as independent predictors of OS: gender (female vs male, hazard ratio 0.72, 95% CI [0.54–0.95]); elevated total bilirubin (TBil; 1.82, 1.34–2.47); elevated carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9; 1.72, 1.17–2.54); tumor being located in pancreatic body and tail (1.52, 1.10–2.10); advanced T stage (T3-4 vs T1-2, 1.62, 1.15–2.27); lymph node metastasis (1.57, 1.20–2.07); distant metastasis (1.59, 1.12–2.27); the presence of surgical resection (0.53, 0.34–0.81); and the presence of systemic chemotherapy (0.62, 0.45–0.82). Conclusions Being male, elevated TBil and carcinoembryonic antigen, tumor being located in pancreatic body and tail, advanced T stage, lymph node and distant metastasis, the absence of surgical resection, and the absence of systematic chemotherapy were associated with worse OS in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Objectives The prognosis of people with pancreatic cancer is extremely unfavorable. However, the prognostic factors remain largely undefined. We aimed to perform comprehensive analyses of clinicopathologic characteristics, laboratory parameters, and treatment protocols for exploring their role as prognostic factors of pancreatic cancer. Methods Patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and hospitalized at the China National Cancer Center between April 2006 and May 2016 were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. Clinicopathologic characteristics, laboratory parameters, and treatment protocols were compared among patients at different stages of the disease. The association between these factors and overall survival (OS) was analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model. Results The present study included 1,433 consecutive patients with pancreatic cancer. Median OS was 10.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.8–11.3 months), with 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates of 43.7%, 14.8%, and 8.8%, respectively. Cox multivariate analysis findings identified the following factors as independent predictors of OS: gender (female vs male, hazard ratio 0.72, 95% CI [0.54–0.95]); elevated total bilirubin (TBil; 1.82, 1.34–2.47); elevated carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9; 1.72, 1.17–2.54); tumor being located in pancreatic body and tail (1.52, 1.10–2.10); advanced T stage (T3-4 vs T1-2, 1.62, 1.15–2.27); lymph node metastasis (1.57, 1.20–2.07); distant metastasis (1.59, 1.12–2.27); the presence of surgical resection (0.53, 0.34–0.81); and the presence of systemic chemotherapy (0.62, 0.45–0.82). Conclusions Being male, elevated TBil and carcinoembryonic antigen, tumor being located in pancreatic body and tail, advanced T stage, lymph node and distant metastasis, the absence of surgical resection, and the absence of systematic chemotherapy were associated with worse OS in patients with pancreatic cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]