Background: Dysplastic nodules in cirrhosis herald a very high risk of transition to hepatocellular carcinoma. A better understanding of the relationships between dysplastic nodules and hepatocellular carcinoma development may help refining strategies of enhanced follow-up.

Methods: All consecutive cirrhotics with a histologically proven de novo dysplastic nodule, were retrospectively identified and underwent alternating abdominal ultrasound and contrast-computed tomography every 3 months. An ultrasound-guided liver biopsy was the diagnostic gold standard, whereas surveillance and recall policies were according to current guidelines.

Results: Among 36 patients with dysplastic nodule (21 low-grade, 15 high-grade, 17.4 ± 2.6mm), 17 (47%) showed arterial wash-in, 15 (42%) portal/venous hypodensity whereas 4 (11%) had neither pattern. During 6-128 (median 36) months, 21 patients developed a hepatocellular carcinoma at a rate of 13.8% per year, intranodular=8.7% vs extranodular=7.1% per year. Hepatocellular carcinoma occurred more frequently in high-grade than low-grade dysplastic nodules (32.2% vs 9.3% per year, p=0.0039); the maximum time to hepatocellular carcinoma transformation was 27 months for intranodular vs 67 months for extranodular tumours (p=0.025). No contrast-computed tomography pattern predicted neoplastic transformation of dysplastic nodules.

Conclusion: The histological examination of liver nodules in cirrhosis lacking the imaging hallmark of hepatocellular carcinoma improves both prognostication and outcome of surveillance, since it dictates the intensity of the radiological follow-up.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dld.2012.08.009DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

hepatocellular carcinoma
24
nodules cirrhosis
12
dysplastic nodules
12
ultrasound-guided liver
8
liver biopsy
8
liver nodules
8
dysplastic nodule
8
contrast-computed tomography
8
dysplastic
7
hepatocellular
6

Similar Publications

Purpose: The present work focused on assessing whether hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) combined with lenvatinib and tislelizumab was safe and effective on advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) showing high tumor burden.

Methods: In the present multicenter retrospective study, treatment-naive advanced HCC patients (BCLC stage C) showing high tumor burden (maximum diameter of intrahepatic lesion beyond 7 cm) treated with lenvatinib and tislelizumab with or without HAIC were reviewed for eligibility from June 2020 to June 2023. Baseline differences between groups were mitigated by propensity score matching (PSM).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Serum proteomic and metabolomic profiling of hepatocellular carcinoma patients co-infected with .

Front Immunol

January 2025

Key Laboratory of Longevity and Aging-related Diseases of Chinese Ministry of Education, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.

Background: () infection is a significant risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), yet its underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the impact of infection on the serum proteomic and metabolomic profiling of HCC patients, focusing on the potential mechanisms.

Method: A retrospective clinical analysis was conducted on 1121 HCC patients, comparing those with and without infection.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) poses a significant health challenge worldwide, primarily due to late-stage diagnosis and the limited effectiveness of current therapies. Cancer stem cells are known to play a role in tumor development, metastasis, and resistance to treatment. A thorough understanding of genes associated with stem cells is crucial for improving the diagnostic precision of LIHC and for the advancement of effective immunotherapy approaches.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate whether tumor-associated lymphatic vessel density (LVD) could predict the survival of patients with hepato-biliary-pancreatic (HBP) cancers after radical resection.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library from the inception to July 31, 2024 for literature that reported the role of LVD in overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) of patients with HBP cancers after radical resection.

Results: Ten studies with 761 patients were included for the meta-analysis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Transplant oncology and anti-cancer immunosuppressants.

Front Immunol

January 2025

Tianjin Organ Transplantation Research Center, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Nankai University School of Medicine, Tianjin, China.

Organ transplantation is a life-saving intervention that enhances the quality of life for patients with end-stage organ failure. However, long-term immunosuppressive therapy is required to prevent allogeneic graft rejection, which inadvertently elevates the risk of post-transplant malignancies, especially for liver transplant recipients with a prior history of liver cancer. In response, the emerging field of transplant oncology integrates principles from oncology and immunology to improve outcomes for patients at high risk of tumor occurrence or recurrence following transplantation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!