Publications by authors named "Hiroko Iijima"

Aim: This study aimed to compare the prognostic performance of the risk models for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) receiving atezolizumab and bevacizumab (Atez/Bev) as first-line treatment.

Methods: Among 449 patients included in this retrospective multicenter study, we compared the prognostic performance of 13 risk models for the 12-month and 18-month survival status using area under the curve (AUC), net reclassification improvement (NRI), and relative integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) analysis. We also constructed a calibration plot to assess the fitness of each model.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In the current era of immune therapy, lenvatinib (LEN) continues to be vital for treating unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) patients. This study investigates the importance of nutritional status in the prognosis of uHCC patients receiving LEN and evaluates a new prognostic scoring system that combines the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) and systemic inflammatory response. From 2018 to 2022, 484 uHCC patients treated with LEN (384 males, median age 73).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Baveno VII criteria (B7C) and Baveno VI criteria (B6C) have been widely used to estimate the risk of hepatic decompensation. However, the impact of age on these criteria warrants further investigation. The international, multicenter cohort study included 1138 patients with compensated cirrhosis (median follow-up of 40.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: The most frequently used first-line treatment in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is atezolizumab plus bevacizumab. Upon progression after this treatment, the standard of care in many countries is sorafenib, due to the lack of reimbursement for other drugs. Several randomized trials are currently underway to clarify the best second-line therapy in patients with HCC.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aim: Some patients undergoing liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have poor outcomes. Therefore, we aimed to propose a new resectability classification for patients with HCC.

Methods: We classified patients into three categories: resectable (R), borderline resectable (BR), and unresectable (UR).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * A retrospective analysis of 885 HCC patients showed no significant differences in overall survival, time to progression, or disease control rates between viral and nonviral patients treated with the combination therapy.
  • * Common prognostic factors were identified across both groups, but there might be some stronger associations between immunological factors and outcomes specifically in viral patients, while treatment-related toxicities and second-line treatments showed nearly identical results for both etiology subgroups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background Attenuation coefficient (AC) and shear-wave speed (SWS) are established US markers for assessing patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), while shear-wave dispersion slope (DS) is not. Purpose To assess the relationship between the multiparametric US imaging markers DS, AC, and SWS and liver histopathologic necroinflammation in patients with MASLD. Materials and Methods This international multicenter prospective study enrolled consecutive patients with biopsy-proven MASLD between June 2019 and March 2023.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background & Aims: Non-invasive models stratifying clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) are limited. Herein, we developed a new non-invasive model for predicting CSPH in patients with compensated cirrhosis and investigated whether carvedilol can prevent hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified using the new model.

Methods: Non-invasive risk factors of CSPH were identified via systematic review and meta-analysis of studies involving patients with hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Adhesions between the abdominal wall and intestinal tract from previous surgeries can complicate reoperations; however, predicting the extent of adhesions preoperatively is difficult. This study aimed to develop a straightforward approach for predicting adhesion severity using a novel abdominal ultrasound technique that quantifies the displacement of motion vectors of two organs to enhance surgical safety. The efficacy of this methodology was assessed experimentally and clinically.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (WFUMB) has released an update on multiparametric ultrasound, specifically improving upon the 2018 Liver Elastography Guidelines with new findings related to chronic liver disease.
  • - The update employs the Oxford classification system to provide structured recommendations based on evidence levels, grades, and agreement among experts.
  • - Key topics include the use of shear wave elastography for assessing liver fibrosis and predicting disease outcomes, as well as guidelines for interpreting liver and spleen stiffness measurements in the context of portal hypertension.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * The research identified independent prognostic factors affecting overall survival and progression-free survival, notably the severity of decreased appetite, immunotoxicity, diarrhea, fatigue, arterial hypertension, and proteinuria.
  • * The findings underscore a significant relationship between the occurrence of AEs and therapy outcomes in HCC patients, similar to what has been observed in other treatment contexts, highlighting the importance of monitoring AEs for prognosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (WFUMB) has promoted the development of this document on multiparametric ultrasound. Part 2 is a guidance on the use of the available tools for the quantification of liver fat content with ultrasound. These are attenuation coefficient, backscatter coefficient, and speed of sound.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - This study conducts a meta-analysis to create a new grading system for liver steatosis using ultrasonography-based 2D-attenuation imaging (ATI), addressing the need for noninvasive tools in diagnosing liver disease.
  • - Eleven studies with 1374 patients revealed that ATI correlates strongly with histological and MRI-PDFF-confirmed steatosis, allowing for classification into four grades (S0 to S3) based on specific ATI measurements.
  • - The newly developed ATI grading system demonstrates high accuracy in determining liver steatosis, validated with independent patient cohorts and showing strong correlation with existing diagnostic methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The relationship between liver fibrosis and inflammation and Mac-2-binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) other than hepatitis C remains uncertain, owing to the limitations of qualitative methods. Here, we evaluated the influence of liver fibrosis and inflammation on quantitative M2BPGi (M2BPGi-Qt) in CLD, considering each etiology.

Methods: We recruited 1373 patients with CLD.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to develop a prognostic scoring system for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atez/Bev).
  • A total of 719 patients were analyzed, examining factors such as BCLC classification, AFP level, and mALBI scores to create the IMABALI-De scoring system, which showed better predictive ability for overall and progression-free survival compared to the CRAFITY score.
  • The IMABALI-De score demonstrated significant results, indicating it may be a more effective tool for predicting outcomes in patients undergoing this combination treatment for liver cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background/aim: The survival and prognostic factors in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent surgical intervention after lenvatinib treatment is not well-understood.

Patients And Methods: Seventy-six patients with advanced HCC who had lenvatinib treatment were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: Of 70 patients who were treated with lenvatinib, 14 patients underwent surgical intervention after lenvatinib treatment for 4-28 weeks.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The study examines the impact of Body Mass Index (BMI) on survival among patients with advanced liver cancer (HCC) undergoing first-line treatment with either atezolizumab plus bevacizumab or lenvatinib, focusing on underweight, normal-weight, and overweight classifications.
  • - In a cohort of 1,292 patients, results indicated that underweight individuals had significantly shorter overall survival (OS) compared to normal-weight patients, while no significant differences in OS were observed between normal and overweight patients.
  • - The research highlights the differing prognostic implications of BMI in cancer treatment, suggesting that underweight patients may require more focused clinical considerations in advanced HCC therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Data concerning the use of lenvatinib in very old patients (≥ 80 years) are limited, although the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in this patient population is constantly increasing.

Objective: This analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of lenvatinib in a large cohort of very old patients (≥ 80 years) with unresectable HCC.

Patients And Methods: The study was conducted on a cohort of 1325 patients from 46 centers in four Western and Eastern countries (Italy, Germany, Japan, and the Republic of Korea) who were undergoing first-line treatment with lenvatinib between July 2010 and February 2022.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The study examined risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with hepatitis C who achieved sustained virological response (SVR) after antiviral therapy, focusing on the VFMAP scoring system.
  • - Out of 358 patients, 19 developed HCC during a median follow-up of 3.2 years, with higher VFMAP scores being linked to increased risk of HCC development.
  • - The findings suggest that the VFMAP scoring system is effective in predicting HCC in HCV patients post-DAA treatment, with significant differences in incidence rates among low, intermediate, and high score groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

: The geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) is an easily calculable index that can be determined using three common clinical variables. The GNRI is suggested to be related to sarcopenia in cirrhotic patients. However, the relationship between the GNRI and the prognosis in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) has not been reported.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: HBV DNA integration into the host genome is frequently found in HBV-associated HCC tissues and is associated with hepatocarcinogenesis. Multiple detection methods, including hybrid capture-sequencing, have identified integration sites and provided clinical implications; however, each has advantages and disadvantages concerning sensitivity, cost, and throughput. Therefore, methods that can comprehensively and cost-effectively detect integration sites with high sensitivity are required.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aim: It remains unclear whether the newly defined concept of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) appropriately includes patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease with significant liver fibrosis.

Methods: A total of 4112 patients in whom nonalcoholic fatty liver disease was diagnosed by ultrasonography during medical checkups were enrolled. We defined a fibrosis-4 index ≥1.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (AB) and lenvatinib can be alternatively used as first-line systemic treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, no direct comparison of the two regimens has been performed in randomized clinical trials, making the identification of baseline differential predictors of response of major relevance to tailor the best therapeutic option to each patient. Baseline clinical and laboratory characteristics of real-world AB-treated HCC patients were analyzed in uni- and multivariate analyses to find potential prognostic factors of overall survival (OS).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to compare the effects of two treatments, atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atez/Bev) and lenvatinib (LEN), on liver function in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
  • A total of 526 patients who received Atez/Bev and 731 who received LEN were analyzed, with 324 patients in each group after matching, using a model to evaluate liver health changes over time.
  • Both treatments led to similar deterioration in liver function scores, with significant worsening observed in LEN-treated patients who were at an advanced cancer stage or received a full dose, highlighting the need for caution in these cases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of two treatments, atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atez/Bev) and lenvatinib (LEN), for elderly patients (80 years and older) with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  • A total of 262 patients were analyzed, with similar age and gender distributions in both treatment groups, showing comparable objective response rates and overall survival.
  • Atez/Bev demonstrated a higher incidence of postprogression treatment and a lower discontinuation rate due to side effects, suggesting it could be a viable first-line option for treating HCC in elderly patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF