Correlation of Needle Biopsy–Acquired Histopathologic Grade of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Outcomes after Thermal Ablation

Purpose

To correlate preablation needle biopsy–acquired histopathologic grade of Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) 5 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with postablation local tumor control rate, intrahepatic distant tumor progression–free survival, and overall survival.

Materials and Methods

This single-center, retrospective cohort study included adult patients with LI-RADS 5 HCC who underwent a preablation core needle biopsy within 3 months prior to thermal ablation from January 2015 to December 2022. Histopathologic grade from the needle biopsy was evaluated as predictor of local tumor control rate, intrahepatic distant tumor progression–free survival, and overall survival. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were compared using the Gehan generalized Wilcoxon test.

Results

The study group comprised 133 patients (mean age, 67 years [SD ± 10]; 107 men) with LI-RADS 5 confirmed HCC, stratified into 18 poorly differentiated tumors (median follow-up, 27.7 months; interquartile range [IQR], 15.5–55.4 months) and 115 well-differentiated/moderately differentiated tumors (median follow-up, 29.2 months; IQR, 15.4–59.9 months). No difference in local tumor control rate was noted between the 2 cohorts (hazard ratio [HR], 1.16; 95% CI, 0.32–4.23; P = .898). There was significantly lower intrahepatic distant tumor progression–free survival after thermal ablation in the poorly differentiated cohort (HR, 2.54; 95% CI, 0.92–7.05; P < .001). The overall survival in the poorly differentiated cohort was also lower, although this did not reach statistical significance (HR, 1.77; 95% CI, 0.60–5.26; P = .202).

Conclusions

Patients with needle biopsy–proven poorly differentiated LI-RADS 5 HCC had significantly lower intrahepatic distant tumor progression–free survival after thermal ablation compared with those with well-differentiated/moderately differentiated HCC.