Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for Child-Pugh Class B Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Importance: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are increasingly used in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, data on ICI therapy in patients with advanced HCC and impaired liver function are scarce.

Objective: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the efficacy and safety of ICI treatment for advanced HCC with Child-Pugh B liver function.

The experience of neoadjuvant chemotherapy versus upfront surgery in resectable pancreatic cancer: a cross sectional study.

Background: Upfront resection (UR) followed by adjuvant chemotherapy remains the standard treatment for resectable pancreatic cancer. There is increasing evidence suggesting favourable outcomes toward neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by surgery.

Methods: All clinical staging with resectable pancreatic cancer patients treated at a tertiary medical centre from 2013 to 2020 were identified.

Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors, alone or in combination, in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with macrovascular invasion: a single-centre experience in Taiwan.

Background: The presence of vascular invasion is associated with poor survival in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We compared the effectiveness of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), alone or in combination, in patients with advanced HCC.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of adult patients with unresectable HCC and macrovascular invasion (MVI) who were treated with HAIC or ICIs alone or in combination at a single centre in Taiwan.

Differential Effects of Laxatives on Barium Sulfate Coating and Image Quality in Double-Contrast Barium Enema.

Background: Diagnostic accuracy of double-contrast barium enema (DCBE) depends upon the barium sulfate coating efficiency in the colon.

Objective: To evaluate effects of three laxatives on barium sulfate coating efficiency in the large intestine, sigmoid colon, and hepatic flexure in DCBE.

Methods: This retrospective study included patients receiving DCBE after pre-procedure cleansing with Dulcolax with castor oil (DC), Klean-Prep (KP), or Fleet .

Real-World Comparative Effectiveness of Nivolumab versus Pembrolizumab in Patients with Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Purpose: Immune checkpoint inhibitors are effective therapies for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, comparisons of the clinical efficacy and safety profile for these drugs are still scarce. Thus, the aims of this study were to investigate the differences in efficacy and safety between nivolumab and pembrolizumab in unresectable HCC patients in a real-world setting.

Patients And Methods: A total of 115 patients who received treatment with nivolumab (n = 73) or pembrolizumab (n = 42) in combination with or without tyrosine kinase inhibitors was enrolled.

Clinical application of mask region-based convolutional neural network for the automatic detection and segmentation of abnormal liver density based on hepatocellular carcinoma computed tomography datasets.

The aim of the study was to use a previously proposed mask region-based convolutional neural network (Mask R-CNN) for automatic abnormal liver density detection and segmentation based on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) computed tomography (CT) datasets from a radiological perspective. Training and testing datasets were acquired retrospectively from two hospitals of Taiwan. The training dataset contained 10,130 images of liver tumor densities of 11,258 regions of interest (ROIs).

Real-world outcome of immune checkpoint inhibitors for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with macrovascular tumor thrombosis.

Programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) inhibitors have shown promising results for treating advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the clinical utility of such inhibitors in HCC patients with vascular tumor thrombosis remains unclear. This study investigated PD-1 inhibitor efficacy in advanced HCC with macrovascular invasion in a clinical setting.

Impact of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors with or without a Combination of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors on Organ-Specific Efficacy and Macrovascular Invasion in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Introduction: The tumor microenvironments of different organs often differ and thus may affect the immunotherapy response.

Objective: This study elucidated that the efficacy of programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) inhibitors varies across different metastatic sites among individuals with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed treatment outcomes in advanced HCC patients receiving PD-1 inhibitors with or without a combination of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs).

Computed tomography classification of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography-related perforation.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)-related perforation leads to high morbidity and mortality. The Stapfer classification divides patients with different perforation locations and suggests management accordingly. The classification may be unknown if perforation is not detected during endoscopy.

Percutaneous Computed Tomography-Guided Coaxial Core Biopsy for the Diagnosis of Pancreatic Tumors.

Endoscopic, ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition (EUS-TA) with rapid on-site evaluation is recommended as a first choice in the diagnosis of pancreatic lesions. Since EUS facilities and rapid on-site evaluation are not widely available, even in medical centers, an alternative for precise diagnoses of pancreatic tumor is warranted. The percutaneous computed tomography-guided, core needle biopsy (CT-CNB) is a commonly applicable method for biopsies.

Formation of Polyethylene Glycol Particles Using a Low-Temperature Supercritical Assisted Atomization Process.

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) particles were prepared using low-temperature supercritical assisted atomization (LTSAA) with carbon dioxide as the spraying medium or the co-solute and acetone as the solvent. The effects of several key factors on the particle size were investigated. These factors included the concentration of the PEG solution, precipitator temperature, saturator temperature, ratio of the volumetric flow rate of carbon dioxide to the PEG solution, and the molecular weight of PEG.

Synergistic inhibition of tumor growth by combination treatment with drugs against different subpopulations of glioblastoma cells.

Background: Glioma stem cells (GSCs) contribute to tumor recurrence and drug resistance. This study characterizes the tumorigenesis of CD133 cells and their sensitivity to pharmacological inhibition.

Methods: GSCs from human U87 and rat C6 glioblastoma cell lines were isolated via magnetic cell sorting using CD133 as a cancer stem cell marker.

A CT-guided fat transversing coaxial biopsy technique for pancreatic lesion biopsy that avoids major organs and vessels.

Background/aims: The purpose of this study is to report our results using a computed tomography (CT)-guided fat transversing coaxial biopsy technique for pancreatic lesion biopsy that avoids major organs and vessels. We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients referred to our department for pancreatic mass biopsy.

Patients And Methods: The records of patients (from June 2008 to August 2014) in whom biopsy was performed under CT guidance with a coaxial needle using a fat transversing technique were reviewed.

Obscured hemorrhagic pancreatitis after orthotopic heart transplantation complicated with acute right heart failure and hepatic dysfunction: a case report.

Background: Pancreatitis is a serious complication after cardiac surgery and can lead to significant morbidities and mortality. The incidence of pancreatitis is even higher in patients undergoing heart transplantation than in those undergoing other cardiac surgeries. Nevertheless, the clinical presentations of pancreatitis are frequently atypical in these patients.

Features associated with progression of small pancreatic cystic lesions: A retrospective study.

Aim: To investigate the progression rate of small pancreatic cystic lesions and identify characteristics associated with their progression.

Methods: Patients with pancreatic cystic lesions with at least 1-year of follow-up were evaluated retrospectively. We excluded patients with cysts larger than 3 cm or with features that were a concern for malignancy.

Development of biodegradable radiopaque microsphere for arterial embolization-a pig study.

Aim: To develop a new type of calibrated, biodegradable, and imaging detectable microsphere and evaluated its embolization safety and efficacy on pig's liver and spleen.

Methods: Six kinds of pharmaceutical excipient were combined and atomized to form our microsphere. Twenty-four male Lanyu pigs weighing 25-30 kg were used.

Transarterial chemoembolization using gelatin sponges or microspheres plus lipiodol-doxorubicin versus doxorubicin-loaded beads for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objective: To retrospectively compare treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) using gelatin sponges or microspheres plus lipiodol-doxorubicin vs. doxorubicin-loaded drug-eluting beads (DEB).

Materials And Methods: A total of 158 patients with HCC received TACE from November 2010 to November 2011 were enrolled in this study, including 64 (40.

Shielding during x-ray examination of pediatric female patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip.

Patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) generally undergo multiple x-ray examinations of both hip joints. During these examinations, the gonads are completely exposed to radiation, unless shielded. Although many types and sizes of gonad shields exist, they often do not provide adequate protection because of size and placement issues; additionally, these shields are frequently omitted for female patients.

Quantitative assessment of iron in heart and liver phantoms using dual-energy computed tomography.

The aim of the present study was to determine the correlation between dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) Hounsfield units (HU) and iron concentration, as well as the correlation between HU and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived R2 values, in phantoms of the heart and liver tissue. Phantoms were constructed containing pig heart or liver tissue and varying concentrations of iron (0.1, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 mg/ml).

Percutaneous nephrostomy performed on kidneys with a thin renal cortex: a retrospective study of daily urine output in 46 nephrostomy procedures.

Purpose: This study investigated whether a thin renal cortex or any morphological kidney measurements can be predictors of post percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) renal function, thereby lessening the need for the procedure.

Materials And Methods: All patients underwent unilateral PCN that were performed under sonographic and fluoroscopic guidance. Kidney morphological measurements were subsequently taken to measure residual renal function; a thin renal cortex was defined from a computed tomography (CT) showing a cortical thickness <10 mm.

Routine defunctioning stoma after chemoradiation and total mesorectal excision: a single-surgeon experience.

Aim: To investigate the 10-year results of treating low rectal cancer by a single surgeon in one institution.

Methods: From Oct 1998 to Feb 2009, we prospectively followed a total of 62 patients with cT2-4 low rectal cancer with lower tumor margins measuring at 3 to 6 cm above the anal verge. All patients received neoadjuvant chemoradiation (CRT) for 6 wk.

A novel method for the angiographic estimation of the percentage of spleen volume embolized during partial splenic embolization.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of estimating the volume of spleen embolized in partial splenic embolization (PSE) by measuring the diameters of the splenic artery and its branches.

Materials And Methods: A total of 43 liver cirrhosis patients (mean age, 62.19±9.

Characterizing the major sonographic textural difference between metastatic and common benign lymph nodes using support vector machine with histopathologic correlation.

Sonographic texture analysis can reflect histopathological components and their arrangement in metastatic and common benign lymph nodes. It is helpful in differentiation between metastatic and benign lymph node lesions for target selection during biopsy of multiple lymph nodes and the strategy of the management. Two ultrasound systems, 107 sonographic regions of interest (ROIs) of metastases and 174 sonographic ROIs of common benign lymph nodes, were recruited in the study.