Hepatic Oncology最新文献

Imaging plays a key role in the clinical management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but conventional imaging techniques have limited sensitivity in visualizing small tumors and assessing response to locoregional treatments and sorafenib. Functional imaging techniques allow visualization of organ and tumor physiology. Assessment of functional characteristics of tissue, such as metabolism, proliferation and stiffness, may overcome some of the limitations of structural imaging. In particular, novel molecular imaging agents offer a potential tool for early diagnosis of HCC, and radiomics may aid in response assessment and generate prognostic models. Further prospective research is warranted to evaluate emerging techniques and their cost-effectiveness in the context of HCC in order to improve detection and response assessment.

Portal vein embolization (PVE) is a safe, percutaneous procedure that has been proven to lower the complication rates of curative intent large-volume hepatic resection by inducing hypertrophy of the future liver remnant. While the safety and efficacy of PVE has been well substantiated, there remains controversy with regards to the technical details, periprocedural management, and whether alternative methods of achieving future liver remnant hypertrophy are preferable to PVE. This paper will address those controversies and offer recommendations based on available data.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common malignancies and represents a unique challenge for physicians and patients. Treatment patterns are not uniform between areas despite efforts to promote a common protocol. Even if most hepatologists worldwide adopt the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging system, Asian and North American physicians are also independently making an effort to expand the indications of each treatment, combining therapies for better outcomes. Also, new therapeutic techniques have emerged and an increasing number of studies are trying to include these paradigm shifts into newer treatment guidelines. Controversial and diverging points in the current international guidelines are emphasized and discussed. Unanswered questions are also analyzed to identify the most needed and promising future perspectives.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.2217/hep.15.36.].

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a devastating malignancy with high mortality, in part due to the combination of late presentation, significant diagnostic challenges and limited effective treatment options. Late presentation and diagnosis contribute to the high mortality in CCA and there is an urgent unmet need for diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment stratification to improve clinical outcomes. MiRs are small ncRNA molecules that regulate gene expression and modulate both tumor suppressive and oncogenic pathways. They have a well-defined role in carcinogenesis, including CCA. In this review, we outline the evidence for MiRs in the pathogenesis of CCA and their potential utility as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers to guide clinical management.

Circulating free tumor DNA (ctDNA) is DNA released from necrotic or apoptotic tumor cells into the bloodstream. Absolute levels of ctDNA, as well as genetic mutations and epigenetic changes detected in ctDNA are useful biomarkers of tumor biology, progression and response to therapy in many tumor types and recent evidence suggests they may be useful in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). ctDNA detected in blood, therefore, offers a minimally invasive, easily repeated 'liquid biopsy' of cancer, providing real-time dynamic analysis of tumor behavior and treatment response that could revolutionize both clinical and research practice in HCC. In this review, we provide a critical summary of the evidence for the utility of ctDNA as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in HCC.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a rare hepatobiliary malignancy arising from the epithelial cells of the intrahepatic bile ducts. The increased incidence of ICC worldwide may reflect both a true increase and the earlier detection of the disease. Despite the advances in modern surgical care, the curative chance for ICC remained suboptimal: tumor-free margins are hard to achieve due to tumor locations, and technical challenges and recurrence, either local or distant, may hamper the resectability in a large number of patients. Lymph node involvement and vascular invasions are considered negative predictive factors for survival of ICC patients. This review discusses the epidemiology, risk factors and surgical management of ICCs, and mainly focuses on outcomes and factors associated with surgical treatment.

The 9th International Liver Cancer Association Annual Conference was held from 4th to 6th September 2015 in Paris, France, and attracted a record breaking 900 participants from 51 different countries and 386 submitted abstracts from scientists around the globe. The congress provided a comprehensive overview of current developments in primary liver cancers (i.e., hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma) and covered a broad range of topics from basic science to clinical studies. Following the success of immunotherapies in recent years, a preconference workshop on immunopathogenesis and immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma also took place. This report will provide a subjective summary of selected abstracts presented at the conference.