Clinical study of microvascular invasion on prognosis of recipients after liver transplantation for liver cancer / 器官移植

Objective To evaluate the effect of microvascular invasion (MVI) on prognosis of recipients after liver transplantation for primary liver cancer (liver cancer). Methods Clinical data of 177 recipients after liver transplantation for liver cancer were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were divided into the MVI-positive group (n=64) and MVI-negative group (n=113) according to postoperative pathological examination results. Clinical data were statistically compared of all recipients between the negative and positive MVI groups. The prognosis and risk factors of liver transplantation recipients for liver cancer were analyzed. Results Among 177 recipients, 64 cases (36.2%) were positive for MVI and 113 (63.8%) negative for MVI. Compared with the MVI-negative recipients, MVI-positive recipients had significantly lower degree of tumor differentiation, higher preoperative alpha-fetaprotein (AFP) level, larger maximal tumor diameter, a larger quantity of tumors, more satellite lesions and more recipients who did not meet the Milan criteria (all P < 0.05). The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) of recipients after liver transplantation for liver cancer were 80.2%, 62.1%, 58.5% and 66.3%, 57.5%, 51.2%, respectively. The 1-, 3- and 5-year OS and RFS of MVI-positive recipients were 70%, 39%, 35% and 53%, 39%, 33%, significantly lower than 86%, 75%, 72% and 73%, 68%, 63% of their counterparts negative for MVI (all P < 0.05). Cox regression analysis showed that the maximal tumor diameter >8 cm, preoperative AFP level ≥20 ng/mL, low degree of tumor differentiation and positive MVI were the independent risk factors for OS of recipients after liver transplantation for liver cancer (all P < 0.05). Positive MVI, low degree of tumor differentiation and preoperative down-staging failure were the independent risk factors for RFS of recipients after liver transplantation for liver cancer (all P < 0.05). Conclusions MVI is of significant clinical value in predicting clinical prognosis of recipients after liver transplantation for liver cancer.

Effect of prophylactic transcatheter arterial chemoembolization on hepatocellular carcinoma with microvascular invasion after R0 resection. A case-control study

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is thought to prevent recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but its efficacy is a matter of controversy. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the effect of preventive TACE on the tumor, nodes, metastasis (TNM) classification in cases of stage II HCC (T2N0M0) after R0 resection. DESIGN AND SETTING: Case-control study conducted in a tertiary-level public hospital. METHODS: We analyzed recurrence rates and mortality rates over time for 250 consecutive cases of HCC in TNM classification cases of stage II HCC (T2N0M0) after R0 resection. These cases were divided into patients who underwent TACE (TACE+) and presented microvascular invasion (MVI+; n = 80); TACE+ but did not present MVI (MIV−; n = 100); MVI+ but did not undergo TACE (TACE−, n = 30); and TACE−/MVI− (n = 40). RESULTS: MVI+ patients in the TACE+ group had significantly lower recurrence rates and mortality rates at one, two and three years than those in the TACE- group (all P < 0.05). Among MVI- patients, the TACE+ group did not have significantly lower recurrence rates and mortality rates at one, two and three years than the TACE- group (all P > 0.05). Regardless of whether TACE was performed or not, MVI− patients had significantly lower recurrence rates and mortality rates at two and three years after their procedures than did MVI+ patients (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Recurrence rates and mortality rates for MVI+ patients were significantly higher than for MVI− patients, beyond the first year after TACE. Postoperative adjuvant TACE may be beneficial for HCC patients with MVI.

The impact of anatomical resection for hepatocellular carcinoma with microvascular invasion on early tumor recurrence / 中华肝胆外科杂志

Objective To study the impact of anatomical resection (AR) for hepatocellular carcinoma with microvascular invasion on early tumor recurrence.Methods 178 consecutive patients with solitary hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent liver resection at the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from January 2012 to December 2015 were retrospectively studied.These patients were divided into four groups according the types of resection (anatomical resection AR or non-anatomical resection NAR) and the surgical margins (narrow or wide margin).All the patients were followed up until the tumor recurred or two years after surgery.The recurrence-free survival and the types of recurrence for the 4 different groups were compared.Results The 6 months,1-,2-year disease-free survival rates in the AR (n =55) and NAR groups (n =123) were 87.0％,79.2％,74.5％ and 78.5％,61.3％,45.7 ％,respectively,(P ＜ 0.05).Through pair-wise comparisons of the four groups,there were no significant differences in early recurrence between the narrow surgical margin group and the wide surgical margin group,regardless of the types of surgery.The early recurrence rates of the AR groups were significantly lower than that of the NAR groups,regardless of the widths of the surgical margins.Multivariate analysis showed that AR was a protective factor of early recurrence (HR =0.417,95％ CI 0.229 ～ 0.761).Further analysis of the recurrence patterns of AR and NAR showed that the recurrence types were mainly sohtary for AR (solitary,61.5％;multiple 30.8％) and multiple recurrence for NAR (solitary,32.2％;multiple 61.0％).Conclusion AR improved early recurrence-free survival of patients with microvascular invasion.