Amount of ascites impacts survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing transarterial chemoembolization advocating for volumetric assessment.

Preliminary work has shown that portal hypertension plays a key role for the prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Specifically, the presence of ascites appears to be a strong negative predictor for these patients. However, it remains unclear whether different ascites volumes influence prognosis.

Elderly Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Benefit from Liver Transplantation as Much as Younger Ones.

Introduction: The literature on liver transplantation (LT) for cirrhosis-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (cirr-HCC) in elderly patients (≥65 years of age) is scarce. The aim of this study was therefore to analyze the outcome after LT for cirr-HCC in elderly patients in our single-center experience.

Methods: All consecutive patients who underwent LT for cirr-HCC at our center were identified from our prospectively collected LT database and stratified into an elderly (≥65 years) and a younger (<65 years) cohort.

Successful transplantation of four kidney grafts from two small pediatric donors with anuric acute renal failure into adult recipients.

Background: Kidneys from infants with anuric acute kidney injury (AKI) only rarely get accepted for transplantation despite encouraging data that such kidneys can have very good long-term outcome.

Methods: We report the transplantation of four kidney grafts from two pediatric donors (3 and 4 years) with anuric acute kidney injury as single kidneys into four adult recipients.

Results: All grafts gained function within 14 days posttransplantation, only one recipient needed dialysis after transplantation.

One fits all: a highly sensitive combined ddPCR/pyrosequencing system for the quantification of microchimerism after hematopoietic and solid organ transplantation.

Objectives: A combined digital droplet PCR (ddPCR)/pyrosequencing assay system was developed that demonstrated advantages applicable to multiple qualitative and quantitative molecular genetic diagnostic applications. Data for characterizing this combined approach for hematologic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and allele quantification from graft-derived cell-free (cf) DNA in solid organ transplantation (SOT) is presented.

Methods: ddPCR and pyrosequencing assays targeting 32 SNPs/markers were established.

Microvascular invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma predicts microvascular invasion of its recurrence: potential implications for salvage liver transplantation?

Background: Microvascular invasion (MVI) can only be assessed on a full surgical specimen. We aimed at evaluating, whether the histology of the primary tumor is predictive of MVI in a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence.

Methods: Patients, who underwent liver resection or orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for recurrent HCC from January 2001 until June 2018 were eligible for this retrospective analysis.

Portal hypertension in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and immunotherapy: prognostic relevance of CT-morphologic estimates.

Background: Clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) has been identified as an important prognostic factor in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing curative treatment. This study aimed to assess PH estimates as prognostic factors in patients with HCC treated with immunotherapy.

Methods: All patients with HCC treated with an immunotherapeutic agent in first or subsequent lines at our tertiary care center between 2016 and 2021 were included (n = 50).

Mixed Hepatocellular Cholangiocarcinoma: A Comparison of Survival between Mixed Tumors, Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma and Hepatocellular Carcinoma from a Single Center.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent primary liver malignancy, followed by intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). In addition, there is a mixed form for which only limited data are available. The aim of this study was to compare recurrence and survival of the mixed form within the cohorts of patients with HCC and ICC from a single center.

Radiomics-Based Prediction of Future Portal Vein Tumor Infiltration in Patients with HCC-A Proof-of-Concept Study.

Portal vein infiltration (PVI) is a typical complication of HCC. Once diagnosed, it leads to classification as BCLC C with an enormous impact on patient management, as systemic therapies are henceforth recommended. Our aim was to investigate whether radiomics analysis using imaging at initial diagnosis can predict the occurrence of PVI in the course of disease.

Outcome after Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Noncirrhotic Liver-A Single Centre Study.

Liver cirrhosis is the most common risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, 10 to 15% of all HCC arise in a non-cirrhotic liver. Few reliable data exist on outcome after liver resection in a non-cirrhotic liver.

The prognostic role of early tumor shrinkage in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing immunotherapy.

Background: Early tumor shrinkage (ETS) has been identified as a promising imaging biomarker for patients undergoing immunotherapy for several cancer entities. This study aimed to validate the potential of ETS as an imaging biomarker for patients undergoing immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: We screened all patients with HCC that received immunotherapy as the first or subsequent line of treatment at our tertiary care center between 2016 and 2021.

13 C-Methacetin Breath Test Predicts Survival in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Transarterial Chemoembolization.

Introduction: The 13 C-methacetin breath test ( 13 C-MBT) is a dynamic method for assessing liver function. This proof-of-concept study aimed to investigate the association between 13 C-MBT values and outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).

Methods: A total of 30 patients with HCC were prospectively recruited.

Baseline Splenic Volume Outweighs Immuno-Modulated Size Changes with Regard to Survival Outcome in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma under Immunotherapy.

: An association between immunotherapy and an increase in splenic volume (SV) has been described for various types of cancer. SV is also highly predictive of overall survival (OS) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We evaluated SV and its changes with regard to their prognostic influence in patients with HCC undergoing immunotherapy.

ALK1 controls hepatic vessel formation, angiodiversity, and angiocrine functions in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia of the liver.

Background And Aims: In hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), severe liver vascular malformations are associated with mutations in the Activin A Receptor-Like Type 1 ( ACVRL1 ) gene encoding ALK1, the receptor for bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 9/BMP10, which regulates blood vessel development. Here, we established an HHT mouse model with exclusive liver involvement and adequate life expectancy to investigate ALK1 signaling in liver vessel formation and metabolic function.

Approach And Results: Liver sinusoidal endothelial cell (LSEC)-selective Cre deleter line, Stab2-iCreF3 , was crossed with Acvrl1 -floxed mice to generate LSEC-specific Acvrl1 -deficient mice ( Alk1HEC-KO ).

Prognostic Factors for 10-Year Survival in Patients With Hepatocellular Cancer Receiving Liver Transplantation.

Background: Long-term survival after liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular cancer (HCC) continues to increase along with the modification of inclusion criteria. This study aimed at identifying risk factors for 5- and 10-year overall and HCC-specific death after LT.

Methods: A total of 1,854 HCC transplant recipients from 10 European centers during the period 1987-2015 were analyzed.

Patient-individualized resection planning in liver surgery using 3D print and virtual reality (i-LiVR)-a study protocol for a prospective randomized controlled trial.

Background: A multitude of different diseases-benign and malign-can require surgery of the liver. The liver is an especially challenging organ for resection planning due to its unique and interindividually variable anatomy. This demands a high amount of mental imagination from the surgeon in order to plan accordingly - a skill, which takes years of training to acquire and which is difficult to teach.

Fully automated AI-based splenic segmentation for predicting survival and estimating the risk of hepatic decompensation in TACE patients with HCC.

Objectives: Splenic volume (SV) was proposed as a relevant prognostic factor for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We trained a deep-learning algorithm to fully automatically assess SV based on computed tomography (CT) scans. Then, we investigated SV as a prognostic factor for patients with HCC undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).

Prevalence and clinical significance of clinically evident portal hypertension in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing transarterial chemoembolization.

Background: Clinically evident portal hypertension (CEPH) was previously identified as a prognostic factor for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, little is known about the prognostic influence of CEPH on the long-term outcome of patients with HCC undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), particularly in Western populations.

Objectives: This study investigated the prevalence and prognostic influence of CEPH in a Western population of patients with HCC undergoing TACE.

Transjugular Portosystemic Stent Shunt: Impact of Right Atrial Pressure on Portal Venous Hemodynamics Within the First Week.

Purpose: Porto-systemic pressure gradient is used to prognosticate rebleeding and resolution of ascites after TIPS. This study investigates the reliability of portal pressure characteristics as quantified immediately after TIPS placement and at short-term control.

Patients And Methods: Portal venous pressure (PVP) and right atrial pressure (RAP) were prospectively obtained before and after TIPS as well as ≥ 48 h after TIPS procedure.

Immunonutritive Scoring for Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Transarterial Chemoembolization: Evaluation of the CALLY Index.

The novel CRP-albumin-lymphocyte (CALLY) index is an improved immunonutritive scoring system, based on serum C-reactive protein (CRP), serum albumin, and the lymphocyte count. It has shown promise as a prognostic index for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing resections. This study evaluated the prognostic ability of the CALLY index for patients with HCC undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).

Liver Resection for Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma-Single-Center Experience with 286 Patients Undergoing Surgical Exploration over a Thirteen Year Period.

Background: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) accounts for about 10% of primary liver cancer. Surgery is the only potentially curative treatment. We report on our current series of 229 consecutive hepatic resections for iCCA, which is one of the largest Western single-center series published so far.

Refining Prognosis in Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Immunonutrition and Liver Function.

A combination of albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grading and the Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) was identified recently as a highly predictive tool for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing tumor ablation. The present study evaluated this combination in patients undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Between 2010 and 2020, 280 treatment-naïve patients were retrospectively identified.

Evaluation of the Intention-to-Treat Benefit of Living Donation in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Awaiting a Liver Transplant.

Importance: Living-donor liver transplant (LDLT) offers advantages over deceased-donor liver transplant (DDLT) of improved intention-to-treat outcomes and management of the shortage of deceased-donor allografts. However, conflicting data still exist on the outcomes of LDLT in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Objective: To investigate the potential survival benefit of an LDLT in patients with HCC from the time of waiting list inscription.