Clinical impact of selective transarterial chemoembolization on hepatocellular carcinoma:A cohort study

AIM:To prospectively evaluate the short and long term clinical impact of selective transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) on liver function in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).To assess side effects in relation to treatments.To analyze the overall survival and HCC progression free survival probability. METHODS:One hundred and seventeen cirrhotic patients with HCC were enrolled.Baseline liver function included Child-Pugh score and serum levels of alanineaminotransferase (ALT),prothrombin time(PT)and bilirubin.According to Cancer Liver Italian Program (CLIP) and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging systems,71 patients were eligible for TACE; 32 had previously received treatment for HCC.No significant differences in liver function were observed between previously treated and not treated patients. TACE was performed by selective catheterization of the arteries nourishing the lesions.While hospitalized, patient sunder went clinical,hematologicand ultrasonographic assessments.One month after TACE a CT scan was performed to assess tumor response. A second TACE was performed"on demand".Liver function tests were checked in all patients every four months.RESULTS:After first TACE,the mean Child-Pugh score increased from a mean baseline 5.62±1.12 to 6.11±1.57 at discharge time (P<0.0001),decreasing after four months to 5.81±0.73 (not significant).ALT,PT and bilirubin significantly (P<0.0001)increased 24 h after TACE and progressively decreased until discharge. After the second TACE,variations in Child-Pugh score,ALT,PT and bilirubin were comparable to that described after the first TACE.No major complications were observed.The mean follow-up was 14.7±6.3 mo (median:16 mo).Only one patient died.No other patient experienced important long term worsening of clinical status.The overall survival probability at twenty-four months was 98.18%with a correspondent HCC progression free survival probability of 69%. CONCLUSION:Selectiv TAC Emayproduce significant,but transitory increases in ALT values, with no major impact on liver function and Child-Pugh score.Preservation of liver function is achievable also in patients previously treated with other therapeutic modalities and in patients undergoing multiple TACE cycles.Liver function can remain stable in the long-term, with optimal medium term survival.This result can be achieved through rigorous patient selection on the basis of tumour characteristics and clinical conditions.

Transarterial radioembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma:An update and perspectives

In the last decade trans-arterial radioembolization has given promising results in the treatment of patients with intermediate or advanced stage hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),both in terms of disease control and tolerability profile.This technique consists of the selective intra-arterial administration of microspheres loaded with a radioactive compound(usually Yttrium90),and exerts its therapeutic effect through the radiation carried by these microspheres.A careful and meticulous selection of patients is crucial before performing the radioembolization to correctly perform the procedure and reduce the incidence of complications.Radioembolization is a technically complex and expensive technique,which has only recently entered clinical practice and is supported by scant results from phase Ⅲ clinical trials.Nevertheless,it may represent a valid alternative to transarterial chemoembolization(TACE) in the treatment of intermediate-stage HCC patients,as shown by a comparative retrospective assessment that reported a longer time to progression,but not of overall survival,and a more favorable safety profile for radioembolization.In addition,this treatment has reported a higher percentage of tumor shrinkage,if compared to TACE,for pre-transplant downsizing and it represents a promising therapeutic option in patients with large extent of disease and insufficient residual liver volume who are not immediately eligible for surgery.Radioembolization might also be a suitable companion to sorafenib in advanced HCC or it can be used as a potential alternative to this treatment in patients who are not responding or do not tolerate sorafenib.

Assessment of clinical and radiological response to sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma patients

Sorafenib is an effective anti-angiogenic treatment forhepatocellular carcinoma(HCC). The assessment of tumor progression in patients treated with sorafenib is crucial to help identify potentially-resistant patients,avoiding unnecessary toxicities. Traditional methods to assess tumor progression are based on variations in tumor size and provide unreliable results in patients treated with sorafenib. New methods to assess tumor progression such as the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors or European Association for the Study of Liver criteria are based on imaging to measure the vascularization and tumor volume(viable or necrotic). These however fail especially when the tumor response results in irregular development of necrotic tissue. Newer assessment techniques focus on the evaluation of tumor volume,density or perfusion. Perfusion computed tomography and Dynamic ContrastEnhanced-UltraS ound can measure the vascularization of HCC lesions and help predict tumor response to antiangiogenic therapies. Mean Transit Time is a possible predictive biomarker to measure tumor response. Volumetric techniques are reliable,reproducible and time-efficient and can help measure minimal changes in viable tumor or necrotic tissue,allowing the prompt identification of non-responders. Volume ratio may be a reproducible biomarker for tumor response. Larger trials are needed to confirm the use of these techniques in the prediction of response to sorafenib.