Current Status of Research on Liver Cancer in Korea

Liver cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in Korea. Liver cancer imposes a considerable societal burden due to its high incidence and high mortality rate in younger patients, as compared to other cancers. However, interest in liver cancer among researchers and health-policy makers is low. In this review, recent trends in the number of published articles on liver cancer in Korea and internationally were analyzed. The key finding is that the rate of growth in the number of published articles on liver cancer is slowly decreasing and financial investment for research into liver cancer is very limited, despite the increasing research and development investment budget in Korea. Meanwhile, the rate of growth of research into liver cancer in China has recently increased markedly. Therefore, the scale and rate of growth of research into liver cancer in Korea should be enhanced.

Effects of tissue specific cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine thermotherapy on hepatic metastasis of colonic carcinoma in nude mice / 中华消化外科杂志

Objective To investigate the effects of tissue specific cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine (CD/5-FC) thermotherapy on hepatic metastasis of colonic carcinoma in nude mice. Methods Forty-five nude mice were randomly divided into control group, 5-FC group and 5-FC thermotherapy group according to the random number table (15 mice in each group). Mice models of hepatic metastasis of colonic carcinoma were established by portal vein injection of LoVo/CEACD cells. The hepatic metastasis rate and number of metastatic nodules of the 3 groups were compared by ehi-square test and one-way ANOVA. The pathological changes in tumor tissues and apoptotic index of tumor cells were observed. The expression of the CD gene in tumor tissues was detected by fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot. Results The number of metastatic nodules and liver metas-tasis rate were 4.6±1.3 and 100.0% in control group, 2.2±1.0 and 60.0% in 5-FC group, 0.5±0.8 and 13.3% in 5-FC thermotherapy group, with statistical difference among the 3 groups (F=25.898, χ2=5.208, 19.548, 5.168, P<0.05). The mean apoptotic indexes of tumor cells of the 3 groups were 4.6%, 9.9% and 17.4%, respectively. Vacuolar degeneration, cell necrosis, cytolysis and apoptotic bodies were mostly observed in the 5-FC thermotherapy group. The expression of CD gene in tumor tissue was detected in all the groups. Conclusion Tissue specific CD/5-FC thermotherapy has inhibitory effects on the hepatic metastasis of LoVo cells transfected with CD gene.

Controversy and discussion on blood supply and interventional therapy of cavernous hemangiomas of the liver / 中华放射学杂志

Objective To further explore the blood supply and interventional therapy of adult cavernous hemangiomas of the liver (CHL).Methods Recently some authors reported that a satisfactory effect resulted from transcatheter portal venous embolization was obtained in few cases of CHL with blood supply of portal vein,and raised an objection to the standpoint that CHL was commonly supplied by hepatic artery completely.In order to get a scientific and reasonable explanation for it,this paper reviewed the vascular embryology and histology of the liver,the pathologic features of CHL as well as the relative literature,and combined with the investigation results of blood dynamic changes of CHL that had been performed in 2000～2002 by us.Results CHL was caused by the arrested development of hepatic sinusoids at the embryonic stage.Pathologically,CHL was consisted of a lot of enlarged abnormal sinusoids,which were variant in size and closely related with the hemodynamic changes of CHL (in inverse proportion).The CHL consisted of even and tiny abnormal sinusoids (diameter less than 50 ?m) pathologically usually presented a high flow.During the hepatic artery angiography or CTHA,it was rapidly filled by the arterial blood containing contrast media and frequently showed dense opacification or enhancement.Simultaneously this could result in increased pressure of abnormal sinusoids.When the sinusoidal pressure exceeded that of the connecting portal venules,the arterial blood containing contrast media filled in the abnormal sinusoids could lead to retrograde flow in the portal venules.That was arterial-portal venous shunts (APVS).These appearances described as above could also occur in some CHL with intermediate flow,in which many tiny abnormal sinusoids located in the peripheral area were identified pathologically.On the contrary,the CHL consisted of larger abnormal sinusoids (diameter more than 500 ?m) pathologically usually presented a low flow.During the hepatic artery angiography or CTHA,it was filled very slowly by the arterial blood containing contrast media and was difficult to opacify or enhance.Simultaneously this could result in a low pressure of abnormal sinusoids.When the sinusoidal pressure was lower than that of the connecting portal venules,the portal venous blood containing contrast media could easily flow into the abnormal sinusoids and make it enhanced during the direct or indirect portography (or CTAP).Conclusion CHL is really a congenital venous malformation.All the CHL with high flow and some CHL with intermediate flow are surely supplied by the hepatic artery and drained primarily by the peripheral branches of portal vein.However,in few CHL with marked lower flow,the portal vein should become a primary supply vessel,so a direct or indirect portography (or CTAP) must often be taken to identify the diagnosis.Thereby,the technique of transcatheter embolization of CHL including the aim,indication,approach,and the used sclerotic or embolic drugs,etc,should also be reconsidered in order to improve its therapeutic efficacy.

Detection of Epstein-Barr Virus in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Tissues / 中国医师杂志

Objective To study the relationship between Epstein-Barr virus(EBV) and Hapatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunohistochemical staining were applied to detect EBV in paraffin tissue sections from 78 HCC patients. Results EBV DNA was detected in 22 patients (28 2%) by PCR. Immunohistochemical staining of EBV LMP1 revealed that the positive signals were mainly localized in the tumor cells. Conclusions These observations suggest that EBV may pay a role in the development of HCC.

THERAPY FOR LIVER METASTASIS OF COLORECTAL CARCINOMAS / 中国癌症杂志

PURPOSE To explore an efficacious therapy for liver metastasis of colorectal carcinomas. METHODS Basing on excision of primary lesions. 86 cases of colorectal carcinomas metastasize to liver were treated in four different manners, namely: sole resection of the metastasis lesions, chemoembolization-resection, sole chemoembolization. and chemotherapy. We also analyze the efficacy in curing single metastatic liver cancer, multiple metastatic cancer that is confined to one section or both left and right sections of liver. RESULTS One year survival rates in the groups of sole resection and chemoembolization-resection are better than that of sole chemoembolization P

PATHOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE ENZYME-LABELING IMMUNO-FETOPROTEIN IN HUMAN NONCIRRHOTIC LIVER CANCER AND PERI-CANCER TISSUE / 第二军医大学学报

pathological observations on 32 surgical cases of noncirrhotic hepatocellular carcin-oma(NCH)were made. 12 surgical cases of cirrhotic hepatocellular carcinoma(CH) were taken as control. Routine fixed method were made by immunoperoxidase staining for AFP.The results were as follows. (1)The positive rate of NCH group host liver is somewhat higher than those of cancer tissue.AFP positive meterials were also observated in 3 cases with proliferative bile-duct epithelium, as compared with CH group,the AFP positive materials distributed in the tissue are similar to those in she cells.The differences of the AFP intensity and the positive rate of NCH group host liver are less than that of CH group.(2)In NCH group, the rate of positive cases of hepatis B is 53.13 %.it is markedly higher than that in 28.13% of orcein negative hepatitiis. (3)The AFP distributing in the cancer tissue and cancer cells were similar to those in the host liver tissue.but much more distributing in the cancer peri-trabecula.(4)It suggested that the review study by routine fixztion and staining immunoperxidase method for AFP is available progressed.