ObjectiveTo evaluate therapeutical effects of Huaier granule combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) following radical resection of primary hepatocellular carcinoma with microvascular invasion. MethodsThe clinical data of 45 cases of primary hepatocellular carcinoma with microvascular invasion underwent Huaier granule combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) following radical resection from June 2010 to June 2013 in Liaoning Cancer Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were divided into Huaier granule plus TACE treatment group (20 cases) and simple TACE treatment group (25 cases) according to the postoperative treatment of the patients. The immune function (CD4+/CD8+ ratio and IL-2 level), 1and 3-year tumor recurrence rates and 3-year cumulative survival rate were compared between two groups after operation. Result① The CD4+/CD8+ ratio and IL-2 level had no significant differences between the 2 groups before operation (P > 0.05), which in the Huaier granule plus TACE treatment group were significantly higher than those in the simple TACE treatment group (P < 0.05) on month 3, 6, and 12 after operation.② 1and 3-year tumor recurrence rates in the Huaier granule plus TACE treatment group were significantly lower than those in the simple TACE treatment group[15% (3/20) versus 48% (12/25), P < 0.05; 45% (9/20) versus 80% (20/25), P < 0.05]. ③ The 3-year cumulative survival rate was 75% and 68% in the Huaier granule plus TACE treatment group and the simple TACE treatment group, respectively. The survival curve analysis showed that the 3-year survival rate had a decreased trend, which in the Huaier granule plus TACE treatment group was slightly higher than that in the simple TACE treatment group, but the difference had no statistical significance between the 2 groups (P > 0.05). ConclusionsAlthough the results of this study fails to confirm that Huaier granule plus TACE treatment for primary hepatocellular carcinoma with microvascular invasion following radical resection could significantly improve the 3-year cumulative survival rate, it could effectively decrease the recurrence rate. It is needed larger sample size to further explore in future research.
ObjectiveTo assess value of preoperative clinical data and enhanced CT imaging features in predic-tion of microvascular invasion (MVI) and early recurrence (recurrence in one year) after curative resection for hepatoce-llular carcinoma (HCC). MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted for 150 patients with HCC who underwent curative tumor resection in West China Hospital of Sichuan University from April 2014 to May 2015. The roles of preoperative CT characteristics and clinical data on MVI and early recurrence after curative tumor resection were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses. Resultscompared with HCC with no MVI and no early recurrence after curative resection, univariate analysis results showed that HCC with MVI and early recurrence had larger tumor size (P=0.002, P=0.005), a higher proportion of non-smooth tumor margin (P<0.001, P<0.001), and tumor multifocality (P=0.005, P=0.038), HCC with MVI had a higher proportion of incomplete tumor capsule (P=0.032), HCC with early recurrence had a higher proportion of incomplete and absence tumor capsules (P=0.038) and a faster washout on portal venous phase-the percentage attenuation ratio on the portal venous phase (P=0.049) and relative washout ratio on the portal venous phase (P=0.020) were higher. A multivariate logistic regression analysis results showed that non-smooth tumor margin (OR=7.075, P<0.001; OR=4.125, P<0.001) and tumor multifocality (OR=3.290, P=0.008; OR=2.354, P=0.047) were the independent predictors for MVI and early recurrence after curative tumor resection, HCC with early recurrence also had a faster washout on the portal venous phase (OR=1.023, P=0.017). ConclusionNon-smooth tumor margin and tumor multifocality are independent risk factors for MVI and early recurrence after curative tumor resection, and HCC with early recurrence has a faster washout on portal venous phase. Preoperative enhanced CT imaging could predict MVI and early recurrence after curative tumor resection and CT imaging findings are helpful to choose reasonable treatment and predict prognosis.
ObjectiveTo assess the feasibility of intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM) in evaluating microvessel density (MVD) and microvascular invasion (MVI) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).MethodsRat models were established to be scanned by IVIM. HCC lesions corresponding to IVIM image were examined pathologically to get data of MVD and MVI. Spearman correlation analysis was used to compare the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), D, D*, and f with MVD, independent samples t test was used to compare ADC, D, D*, and f between MVI (+) and MVI (–) groups.ResultsFifty HCC lesions were included finally. ADC and D values both showed a negative correlation with MVD (r=–0.406, P=0.003; r=–0.468, P=0.001), D* and f showed no statistical correlation with MVD (P=0.172, 0.074, respectively). The differences in ADC and all the IVIM parameters (D, D*, and f) between MVI (+) and MVI (–) HCCs were not statistically significant (P=0.393, 0.395, 0.221, 0.550).ConclusionADC and D can be used to evaluate MVD of HCC, but ADC and IVIM parameters were limited in evaluating MVI.
ObjectiveTo explore the predictive value of serum prothrombin induced by vitamin K absence-Ⅱ (PIVKA-Ⅱ) detection for the biological characteristics of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).MethodsThis retrospective study included 394 patients with HBV-related HCC who were newly diagnosed and treated with surgical resection in West China Hospital of Sichuan University between June 2017 and December 2018. Their clinical information such as tumor size, tumor number, tumor cell differentiation, presence of microvascular invasion (MVI), distant metastasis, and portal vein tumor thrombus was collected from the medical record. The laboratory test results of patients during diagnosis and before surgery were collected, including alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), PIVKA-Ⅱ, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (γ-GGT), etc., and the relationships between PIVKA-Ⅱ levels and tumor biological characteristics were analyzed. Non-normal continuous variables were presented as medium (lower quartile, upper quartile).ResultsCompared with the patients with low HCC serum PIVKA-Ⅱ levels (≤40 mAU/mL), patients with high serum PIVKA-Ⅱ levels (>40 mAU/mL) had larger tumor diameters [5.00 (3.00, 9.00) vs. 2.50 (1.63, 4.95) cm, P<0.001], more severe Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage (P<0.001), and higher AFP [186.05 (6.86, 1 210.00) vs. 17.83 (4.33, 231.95) ng/mL, P<0.001], ALT [38.00 (26.00, 66.25) vs. 32.00 (22.00, 51.00) U/L, P=0.018], AST [42.00 (30.00, 76.00) vs. 34.00 (25.50, 48.25) U/L, P<0.001], and γ-GGT [71.00 (39.00, 165.50) vs. 55.50 (25.00, 93.00) U/L, P=0.005], and were more likely to form portal vein tumor thrombi (16.61% vs. 3.75%, P=0.003) and MVI (43.67% vs. 11.11%, P<0.001). In BCLC stage 0 HCC patients, the positive rate of PIVKA-Ⅱ was only 51.35%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that PIVKA-Ⅱ>40 mAU/mL was an independent predictor of MVI [odds ratio=6.588, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.645, 26.383), P=0.008]. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve of PIVKA-Ⅱ level predicting MVI was 0.761 [95%CI (0.693, 0.830)], with a sensitivity of 66.22% and a specificity of 79.06%.ConclusionIn HBV-related HCC patients, high PIVKA-Ⅱ is associated with the poor biological characteristics of tumor, and is an independent risk factor for tumor MVI.