A systematic review of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy outcomes for advanced indications:Large tumors(cT2-T3),solitary kidney,completely endophytic,hilar,recurrent,and multiple renal tumors

Objective:Robot-assisted partial nephrectomy(RAPN)has become widely used for treatment of renal cell carcinoma and it is expanding in the field of complex renal masses.The aim of this systematic review was to analyze outcomes of RAPN for completely endophytic renal masses,large tumors(cT2-T3),renal cell carcinoma in solitary kidney,recurrent tumors,completely endophytic and hilar masses,and simultaneous and multiple tumors.Methods:A comprehensive search in the PubMed,Scopus,Web of Science,and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases was performed in December 2022 for English language papers.The primary endpoint was to evaluate the role of RAPN in the setting of each category of complex renal masses considered.The secondary endpoint was to evaluate the surgical and functional outcomes.Results:After screening 1250 records,43 full-text manuscripts were selected,comprising over 8500 patients.Twelve and thirteen studies reported data for endophytic and hilar renal masses,respectively.Five and three studies reported outcomes for cT2-T3 and solitary kidney patients,respectively.Four studies focused on redo-RAPN for recurrent tumors.Two studies investigated simultaneous bilateral renal masses and five reports focused on multiple tumor excision in ipsilateral kidney.Conclusion:Over the past decade,evidence supporting the use of RAPN for the most challenging nephron-sparing surgery indications has continuously grown.Although limitations remain including study design and lack of detailed long-term functional and oncological outcomes,the adoption of RAPN for the included advanced indications is associated with favorable surgical outcomes with good preservation of renal function without compromising the oncological result.Certainly,a higher likelihood of complication might be expected when facing extremely challenging cases.However,none of these indications should be considered per se an exclusion criterion for performing RAPN.Ultimately,a risk-adapted approach should be employed.

In situ injectable hydrogel encapsulating Mn/NO-based immune nano-activator for prevention of postoperative tumor recurrence

Postoperative tumor recurrence remains a predominant cause of treatment failure. In this study, we developed an in situ injectable hydrogel, termed MPB-NO@DOX + ATRA gel, which was locally formed within the tumor resection cavity. The MPB-NO@DOX + ATRA gel was fabricated by mixing a thrombin solution, a fibrinogen solution containing all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), and a Mn/NO-based immune nano-activator termed MPB-NO@DOX. ATRA promoted the differentiation of cancer stem cells, inhibited cancer cell migration, and affected the polarization of tumor-associated macrophages. The outer MnO2 shell disintegrated due to its reaction with glutathione and hydrogen peroxide in the cytoplasm to release Mn2+ and produce O2, resulting in the release of doxorubicin (DOX). The released DOX entered the nucleus and destroyed DNA, and the fragmented DNA cooperated with Mn2+ to activate the cGAS-STING pathway and stimulate an anti-tumor immune response. In addition, when MPB-NO@DOX was exposed to 808 nm laser irradiation, the Fe-NO bond was broken to release NO, which downregulated the expression of PD-L1 on the surface of tumor cells and reversed the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In conclusion, the MPB-NO@DOX + ATRA gel exhibited excellent anti-tumor efficacy. The results of this study demonstrated the great potential of in situ injectable hydrogels in preventing postoperative tumor recurrence.

Tumor recurrence and survival prognosis in patients with advanced gastric cancer after radical resection with radiotherapy and chemotherapy

BACKGROUND Advanced gastric cancer is a common malignancy that is often diagnosed at an advanced stage and is still at risk of recurrence after radical surgical treatment.Chemoradiotherapy,as one of the important treatment methods for gastric cancer,is of great significance for improving the survival rate of patients.However,the tumor recurrence and survival prognosis of gastric cancer patients after radio-therapy and chemotherapy are still uncertain.AIM To analyze the tumor recurrence after radical radiotherapy and chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer and provide more in-depth guidance for clinicians.METHODS A retrospective analysis was performed on 171 patients with gastric cancer who received postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy in our hospital from 2021 to 2023.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the recurrence rate and survival rate;the log-rank method was used to analyze the single-factor prognosis;and the Cox model was used to analyze the prognosis associated with multiple factors.RESULTS The median follow-up time of the whole group was 63 months,and the follow-up rate was 93.6%.Stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ patients accounted for 31.0%and 66.7%,respec-tively.The incidences of Grade 3 and above acute gastrointestinal reactions and hematological adverse reactions were 8.8%and 9.9%,respectively.A total of 166 patients completed the entire chemoradiotherapy regimen,during which no adverse reaction-related deaths occurred.In terms of the recurrence pattern,17 patients had local recurrence,29 patients had distant metastasis,and 12 patients had peritoneal implantation metastasis.The 1-year,3-year,and 5-year overall survival(OS)rates were 83.7%,66.3%,and 60.0%,respectively.The 1-year,3-year,and 5-year disease-free survival rates were 75.5%,62.7%,and 56.5%,respectively.Multivariate analysis revealed that T stage,peripheral nerve invasion,and the lymph node metastasis rate(LNR)were independent prognostic factors for OS.CONCLUSION Postoperative intensity-modulated radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy for gastric cancer treatment is well tolerated and has acceptable adverse effects,which is beneficial for local tumor control and can improve the long-term survival of patients.The LNR was an independent prognostic factor for OS.For patients with a high risk of local recurrence,postoperative adjuvant chemoradiation should be considered.

Predictive value of tumor markers in patients with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma in different vascular invasion pattern

BACKGROUND： Four tumor markers for hepatocellular carcinoma（HCC）, alpha-fetoprotein（AFP）, glypican-3（GPC3）, vascular endothelial growth factor（VEGF） and des-gammacarboxy prothrombin（DCP）, are closely associated with tumor invasion and patient＇s survival. This study estimated the predictability of preoperative tumor marker levels along with pathological parameters on HCC recurrence after hepatectomy.METHODS： A total of 140 patients with HCC who underwent hepatectomy between January 2012 and August 2012 were enrolled. The demographics, clinical and follow-up data were collected and analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups： patients with macroscopic vascular invasion（Ma VI ＋） and those without Ma VI（Ma VI-）. The predictive value of tumor markers and clinical parameters were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis.RESULTS： In all patients, tumor size（〉8 cm） and Ma VI were closely related to HCC recurrence after hepatectomy. For Ma VI＋ patients, VEGF（〉900 pg/m L） was a significant predictor for recurrence（RR=2.421; 95% CI： 1.272-4.606; P=0.007）. The 1- and 2-year tumor-free survival rates for Ma VI＋ patients with VEGF ≤900 pg/m L versus for those with VEGF 〉900 pg/m L were 51.5% and 17.6% versus 19.0% and 4.8%（P〈0.001）. For Ma VI- patients, DCP 〉445 m Au/m L and tumor size 〉8 cm were two independent risk factors for tumor recurrence（RR=2.307, 95% CI： 1.132-4.703, P=0.021; RR=3.150, 95% CI： 1.392-7.127, P=0.006; respectively）. The 1- and 2-year tumor-free survival rates for the patients with DCP ≤445 m Au/m L and those with DCP 〉445 m Au/m L were 90.4% and 70.7% versus 73.2% and 50.5% respectively（P=0.048）. The 1-and 2-year tumor-free survival rates for the patients with tumor size ≤8 cm and 〉8 cm were 83.2% and 62.1% versus 50.0% and 30.0%, respectively（P=0.003）.CONCLUSIONS： The Ma VI＋ patients with VEGF ≤900 pg/m L had a relatively high tumor-free survival than those with VEGF 〉900 pg/m L. In the Ma VI- patients, DCP 〉445 m Au/m L and tumor size 〉8 cm were predictive factors for postoperative recurrence.

Adjuvant therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma:Dilemmas at the start of a new era

Approximately 50%-70%of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma experience recurrence within five years after curative hepatic resection or ablation.As a result,many patients receive adjuvant therapy after curative resection or ablation in order to prolong recurrence-free survival.The therapy recommended by national guidelines can differ,and guidelines do not specify when to initiate adjuvant therapy or how long to continue it.These and other unanswered questions around adjuvant therapies make it difficult to optimize them and determine which may be more appropriate for a given type of patient.These questions need to be addressed by clinicians and researchers.

Analysis of CD117-negative gastrointestinal stromal tumors

AIM: To identify the gastrointestinal stromal tumors(GISTs) that are negative for CD117 expression by immunohistochemistry and to characterize their malignant potential.METHODS: A total of 108 primary mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract were screened to select CD117-negative tumors, from which KIT(exons 9, 11, 13, and 17)and PDGFRA (exons 10, 12, 14, and 18) were sequenced to identify GISTs. Tumor recurrence and distant metastasis were used as the criteria of malignancy.RESULTS: The result showed that approximately 25%(29/108) of the gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors were negative for CD117 and approximately 6% (7/108)of the tumors were CD117-negative GISTs. All these CD117-negative tumors had a mutated KITand a wildtype PDGFRA. All CD117-negative GISTs with mutations at codons 557/558 of KIThad mitotic counts ＞10/50 high power field, and 75% (3/4) of them showed multiple recurrence or distant metastasis.CONCLUSION: CD1 17-negative KITmutated GISTs account for approximately 6% of the gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors. Tumor recurrence or distant metastasis correlates to both theKITmutations at codons 557/558 and the mitotic counts, but not to the tumor size.

Impact of treatment modalities on patients with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation:Preliminary experience

Background:Post-liver transplantation(LT)hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)recurrence still occurs in approximately 20%of patients and drastically affects their survival.This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of various treatments for recurrent HCC after LT in a Chinese population.Methods:A total of 64 HCC patients with tumor recurrence after LT were enrolled in this study.Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors affecting post-recurrence survival.Results:Of the 64 patients with recurrent HCC after LT,those who received radical resection followed by nonsurgical therapy had a median overall survival(OS)of 20.9 months after HCC recurrence,significantly superior to patients who received only nonsurgical therapy(9.4 months)or best supportive care(2.4 months).The one-and two-year OS following recurrence was favorable for patients receiving radical resection followed by nonsurgical therapy(93.8%,52.6%),poor for patients receiving only nonsurgical therapy(30.8%,10.8%),and dismal for patients receiving best supportive care(0%,0%;overall P<0.001).Median OS in sorafenib-tolerant patients treated with lenvatinib was 19.5 months,far surpassing the patients that discontinued sorafenib or were treated with regorafenib after sorafenib failure(12 months,P<0.001).Compared with tacrolimus-based immunosuppressive therapy,OS was significantly increased with sirolimus-based therapy at one and two years after HCC recurrence(P=0.035).Multivariate analysis showed radical resection combined with nonsurgical therapy for recurrent HCC and sorafenib-lenvatinib sequential therapy were independent favorable factors for post-recurrence survival.Conclusions:Aggressive surgical intervention in well-selected patients significantly improves OS after recurrence.A multidisciplinary treatment approach is required to slow down disease progression for patients with unresectable recurrent HCC.

High Expression of p300 in Human Breast Cancer Correlates with Tumor Recurrence and Predicts Adverse Prognosis

Objective：Transcriptional coactivator p300 has been shown to play a variety of roles in the transcription process and mutation of p300 has been found in certain types of human cancers.However,the expression dynamics of p300 in breast cancer （BC） and its effect on BC patients＇ prognosis are poorly understood.Methods：In the present study,the methods of tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry （IHC） were used to investigate the protein expression of p300 in BCs.Receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve analysis,Spearman＇s rank correlation,Kaplan-Meier plots and Cox proportional hazards regression model were utilized to analyze the data.Results：Based on the ROC curve analysis,the cutoff value for p300 high expression was defined when the H score for p300 was more than 105.High expression of p300 could be observed in 105/193 （54.4%） of BCs,in 6/25 （24.0%） of non-malignant breast tissues,respectively （P=0.004）.Further correlation analysis showed that high expression of p300 was positively correlated with higher histological grade,advanced clinical stage and tumor recurrence （P0.05）.In univariate survival analysis,a significant association between high expression of p300 and shortened patients＇ survival and poor progression-free survival was found （P0.05）.Importantly,p300 expression was evaluated as an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis （P0.05）.Conclusion：Our findings provide a basis for the concept that high expression of p300 in BC may be important in the acquisition of a recurrence phenotype,suggesting that p300 high expression,as examined by IHC,is an independent biomarker for poor prognosis of patients with BC.

Liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma on cirrhosis:Strategies to avoid tumor recurrence

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is one of the most frequent neoplasms worldwide and in most cases it is associated with chronic liver disease.Liver transplantation(LT) is potentially the optimal treatment for those patients with HCC who have a poor functional hepatic reserve due to their underlying chronic liver disease.However,due to the limited availability of donors,only those patients whose oncologic profile is favorable can be considered for LT.Despite the careful selection of candidates based on strict rules,10 to 20%of liver transplant recipients who have HCC in the native cirrhotic liver develop tumor recurrence after transplantation.The selection criteria presently employed to minimize the risk of recurrence are based on gross tumor characteristics defined by imaging techniques;unfortunately,the accuracy of imaging is far from being optimal.Furthermore,microscopic tumor features that are strictly linked with prognosis can not be assessed prior to transplantation.Pre-transplantation tumor downstaging may allow transplantation in patients initially outside the selection criteria and seems to improve the prognosis;it also provides information on tumor biology.Themain peculiarity of the transplantation setting,when this is compared with other modalities of treatment,is the need for pharmacological immunosuppression:this is based on drugs that have been demonstrated to increase the risk of tumor development.As HCC is an aggressive malignancy,immunosuppression has to be handled carefully in patients who have HCC at the time of transplantation and new categories of immunosuppressive agents should be considered.Adjuvant chemotherapy following transplantation has failed to show any significant advantage.The aim of the present study is to review the possible strategies to avoid recurrence of HCC after liver transplantation based on the current clinical evidence and the more recent developments and to discuss possible future directions.

Ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence in early stage breast cancer patients treated with breast conserving surgery and adjuvant radiation therapy: Concordance of biomarkers and tumor location from primary tumor to in-breast tumor recurrence

BACKGROUND Patients with an in-breast tumor recurrence(IBTR)after breast-conserving therapy have a high risk of distant metastasis and disease-related mortality.Classifying clinical parameters that increase risk for recurrence after IBTR remains a challenge.AIM To describe primary and recurrent tumor characteristics in patients who experience an IBTR and understand the relationship between these characteristics and disease outcomes.METHODS Patients with stage 0-II breast cancer treated with lumpectomy and adjuvant radiation were identified from institutional databases of patients treated from 2003-2017 at our institution.Overall survival(OS),disease-free survival,and local recurrence-free survival(LRFS)were estimated using the Kaplan Meier method.We identified patients who experienced an isolated IBTR.Concordance of hormone receptor status and location of tumor from primary to recurrence was evaluated.The effect of clinical and treatment parameters on disease outcomes was also evaluated.RESULTS We identified 2164 patients who met the eligibility criteria.The median follow-up for all patients was 3.73[interquartile range(IQR)2.27-6.07]years.Five-year OS was 97.7%(95%CI:96.8%-98.6%)with 28 deaths;5-year LRFS was 98.0%(97.2-98.8)with 31 IBTRs.We identified 37 patients with isolated IBTR,19(51.4%)as ductal carcinoma in situ and 18(48.6%)as invasive disease,of whom 83.3%had an in situ component.Median time from initial diagnosis to IBTR was 1.97(IQR:1.03-3.5)years.Radiotherapy information was available for 30 of 37 patients.Median whole-breast dose was 40.5 Gy and 23 patients received a boost to the tumor bed.Twenty-five of thirty-two(78.1%)patients had concordant hormone receptor status,HER-2 receptor status,and estrogen receptor(ER)(P=0.006)and progesterone receptor(PR)(P=0.001)status from primary to IBTR were significantly associated.There were no observed changes in HER-2 status from primary to IBTR.The concordance between quadrant of primary to IBTR was 10/19[(62.2%),P=0.008].Tumor size greater than 1.5 cm(HR=0.44,95%CI:0.22-0.90,P=0.02)and use of endocrine therapy upfront(HR=0.36,95%CI:0.18-0.73,P=0.004)decreased the risk of IBTR.CONCLUSION Among patients with early stage breast cancer who had breast conserving surgery treated with adjuvant RT,ER/PR status and quadrant were highly concordant from primary to IBTR.Tumor size greater than 1.5 cm and use of adjuvant endocrine therapy were significantly associated with decreased risk of IBTR.

Nomogram based on tumor-associated neutrophil-tolymphocyte ratio to predict survival of patients with gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms

AIM To assess the predictive value of the tumor-associated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in terms of the clinical outcomes of patients with gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms after radical surgery.METHODS Data were retrospectively collected from 142 patients who were diagnosed with gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms and who underwent radical gastrectomy at our department from March 2006 to March 2015. These data were retrospectively analyzed, and a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to identify the optimal value of the tumorassociated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were used to identify prognostic factors. A nomogram was then applied to predict clinical outcomes after surgery.RESULTS The tumor-associated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was significantly associated with tumor recurrence, especially with liver metastasis and lymph node metastasis(P < 0.05 for both), but not with clinical characteristics(P > 0.05 for all). A multivariate Cox regression analysis identified the tumor-associatedneutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as an independent prognostic factor for recurrence-free survival and overall survival(P < 0.05 for both). The concordance index of the nomograms, which included the tumorassociated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, Ki-67 index, and lymph node ratio, was 0.788(0.759) for recurrence-free survival(overall survival) and was higher than the concordance index of the traditional TNM staging system [0.672(0.663)].CONCLUSION The tumor-associated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is an independent prognostic factor in patients with gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms. Nomograms that include the tumor-associated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, Ki-67 index, and lymph node ratio have a superior ability to predict clinical outcomes of postoperative patients.

Recurrent orbital space-occupying lesions:a clinicopathologic study of 253 cases

Objective：To analyze the clinical features,histopathologic classification and frequencies of various types of recurrent orbital space-occupying lesions.Methods：A retrospective study was carried out in 253 consecutive patients with recurrent orbital spaceoccupying lesions treated by surgical excision in the Institute of Orbital Diseases,the General Hospital of the Armed Police Force from January 2009 to December 2010.Results：The patients included 123 males and 130 females aged 2 to 78 years（mean,36.2 years）,and the last recurrence interval after operation ranged from 1 month to 40 years（median,4.75 years）.Of all the cases,159（62.8%）,65（25.7%）,20（7.9%）,8（3.2%） and 1（0.4%） had previously experienced once,twice,three,four and six times of surgeries,respectively.Among them,29（11.5%） cases had recurred 3 times or over,and 37（14.6%） cases got recurrence in 10 or more years postoperatively.Most of the patients with local recurrence presented with various clinical manifestations,while 31（12.3%） cases were symptom-free.Two hundred and thirty-one（91.3%） cases underwent surgical removal of the recurrent orbital lesions,and another 22（8.7%） cases had to receive the exenteration of orbit.Categories of these recurrent orbital lesions after operation were as follows：lacrimal gland tumors,65（25.7%） cases;vasogenic diseases,54（21.3%） cases;neurogenic tumors,42（16.6%） cases;secondary tumors,24（9.5%） cases;orbital inflammation,21（8.3%） cases;myogenic tumors,14（5.5%） cases;fibrous and adipose tumors,12（4.7%） cases;lympho-hematopoietic tumors,7（2.8%） cases;bone or cartilage tumors,7（2.8%） cases;orbital cysts,6（2.4%） cases;and indefinitely differentiated tumor,1（0.4%） case.The 10 top histopathologic diagnoses were lacrimal gland pleomorphic adenoma,hemangiolymphangioma,lacrimal gland adenoid cystic carcinoma,meningioma,inflammatory pseudotumor,neurofibroma,sebaceous gland carcinoma,vascular malformation,rhabdomyosarcoma and hemangioma.Conclusions：The variety of recurrent orbital lesions after operation includes mainly of tumors except for vascular malformation and orbital inflammatory lesions.The lacrimal gland epithelial tumor is most prone to relapse after resection,and early and longer-term postoperative follow-up is needed.

Survival at Tumor Recurrence in Soft Matter

Survival at tumor recurrence in soft matter, after chemotherapy, is assessed by RNA folding. It is shown that this recurrence is starting with development of a fluidlike globule;it changes the energy of soft matter;it proceeds as a resonant mixing;and at the end it causes diffusion. This diffusion is interpreted as metastasis in soft matter. A tumor memory is designed for its recurrence oscillations. These oscillations are marked as positive or negative according to their influence on life stabilization or destabilization. It is demonstrated that a tumor memorizes two types of recurrences. The intensity of chemotherapy in soft matter for a tumor with such memory is obtained. Survival at tumor recurrence in soft matter, after chemotherapy, is assigned to one of the five regions of the phase diagram of the “thermalized” tumor by microenvironment. To each of these regions is collated a breast cancer survival class. It is found that the survival at tumor recurrence in soft matter, after chemotherapy, well represents actual survival of 32 patients with breast cancer.

Survival Reassessment at Tumor Recurrence in Soft Matter

The paper reassesses a survival at tumor recurrence in soft matter. First, the stability of structural motifs under shear in clusters of dipolar spheres is characterized. Next, there are introduced transitions between polymer knots and rhythms of these transitions are obtained. The sensor is built for these rhythms. Treatment, with a tensile force protocol, is modeled, when the tumor in soft matter is observed by the above sensor. Survival probability, at tumor recurrence in soft matter, is defined for the treatment with a tensile force protocol. It is stated that the survival probability at a tensile force protocol treatment in soft matter confirms or specifies the prognostic survival of 32 patients with breast cancer.

A mixed blessing for liver transplantation patients—Rapamycin

Background:Liver transplantation(LT)is an effective treatment option for end-stage liver disease.Mammalian target of rapamycin(m TOR)inhibitors,such as rapamycin,are widely used post LT.Data sources:In this review,we focused on the anti-cancer activities and metabolic side effects of rapamycin after LT.The literature available on Pub Med for the period of January 1999-September 2022 was reviewed.The key words were rapamycin,sirolimus,liver transplantation,hepatocellular carcinoma,diabetes,and lipid metabolism disorder.Results:Rapamycin has shown excellent effects and is safer than other immunosuppressive regimens.It has exhibited excellent anti-cancer activity and has the potential in preventing hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)recurrence post LT.Rapamycin is closely related to two long-term complications after LT,diabetes and lipid metabolism disorders.Conclusions:Rapamycin prevents HCC recurrence post LT in some patients,but it also induces metabolic disorders.Reasonable use of rapamycin benefits the liver recipients.

Sirolimus improves the prognosis of liver recipients with hepatocellular carcinoma:A single-center experience

Background:Tumor recurrence after liver transplantation(LT)for selective patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)in the setting of cirrhosis is the greatest challenge effecting the prognosis of these patients.The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of sirolimus on the prognosis for these recipients.Methods:The data from 193 consecutive HCC patients who had undergone LT from January 2015 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.These patients were divided into the sirolimus group[patients took sirolimus combined with calcineurin inhibitors(CNIs)(n=125)]and non-sirolimus group[patients took CNI-based therapy without sirolimus(n=68)].Recurrence-free survival(RFS)and overall survival(OS)were compared between the two groups.The prognostic factors and independent risk factors for RFS and OS were further evaluated.Results:Non-sirolimus was an independent risk factor for RFS(HR=2.990;95%CI:1.050-8.470;P=0.040)and OS(HR=3.100;95%CI:1.190-8.000;P=0.020).A higher proportion of patients beyond Hangzhou criteria was divided into the sirolimus group(69.6%vs.80.9%,P=0.030).Compared with the non-sirolimus group,the sirolimus group had significantly better RFS(P<0.001)and OS(P<0.001).Further subgroup analysis showed similar results.Conclusions:This study demonstrated that sirolimus significantly decreased HCC recurrence and prolonged RFS and OS in LT patients with different stage of HCC.

Early steroid withdrawal after liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To evaluate the impact of early steroid withdrawal on the incidence of rejection, tumor recurrence and complications after liver transplantation for advanced- stage hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: Fifty-four patients underwent liver transplantation for advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma from April 2003 to June 2005. These cases were divided into a steroid-withdrawal group (group A, n = 28) and a steroid-maintenance group (group B, n = 26). In group A, steroid was withdrawn 3 mo after transplantation. In group B, steroid was continuously used postoperatively. The incidence of rejection, 6-mo and 1-year recurrence rate of carcinoma, 1-year survival rate, mean serum tacrolimus trough level, and liver and kidney function were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: In the two groups, no statistical difference was observed in the incidence of rejection (14.3 vs 11.5%, P > 0.05), mean serum tacrolimus trough levels (6.9 ± 1.4 vs 7.1 ± 1.1 μg/L, P > 0.05), liver and kidney function after 6 mo [alanine aminotransferase (ALT): 533 ± 183 vs 617 ± 217 nka/L, P > 0.05; creatinine: 66 ± 18 vs 71 ± 19 μmol/L, P > 0.05], 6-mo recurrence rate of carcinoma (25.0 vs 42.3%, P > 0.05), and 1-year survival rate (64.2 vs 46.1%, P > 0.05). The 1-year tumor recurrence rate (39.2 vs 69.2%, P < 0.05), serum cholesterol level (3.9 ± 1.8 vs 5.9 ± 2.6 mmol/L, P < 0.01) and fasting blood sugar (5.1 ± 2.1 vs 8.9 ± 3.6 mmol/L, P < 0.01) were signifi cantly different. These were lower in the steroid-withdrawal group than in the steroid- maintenance group. CONCLUSION: Early steroid withdrawal was safe after liver transplantation in patients with advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma. When steroids were withdrawn 3 mo post-operation, the incidence of rejection didnot increase, and there was no demand to maintain tacrolimus at a high level. In contrast, the tumor recurrence rate and the potential of adverse effects decreased signifi cantly. This may have led to an increase in long-term survival rate.

A case of primary malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the pancreas: CT and MRI findings

Primary malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of the pancreas is rare and a distinct clinical entity. We report a case of recurrence of pancreatic MFH with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. A 67-year-old man presented with a history of decreased body weight over the past 6 mo. Abdominal CT revealed a large, multilocular cystic mass in the head of the pancreas with obvious atrophy in the body and tail of the pancreas. After 6 mo postoperatively, MRI demonstrated a recurrent large mass in the primary area of the head of the pancreas. The lesion was heterogeneous, hypointense to the liver on T1-weighted imaging, and heterogeneously hyperintense to the liver with a hypointense area in the central part of the tumor on fat-saturated T2-weighted imaging. Contrast- enhanced T1-weighted imaging demonstrated a large multilocular cystic mass with a cystic wall, fibrous septa and enhancement of solid components. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on recurrence of primary MFH of the pancreas, and the first with MRI findings.

Adjuvant heparanase inhibitor PI-88 therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence

AIM: To demonstrate that administering heparanase inhibitor PI-88 at 160 mg/d is safe and promising in reducing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence for up to 3 year following curative resection.

Impact of postoperative glycemic control and nutritional status on clinical outcomes after total pancreatectomy

AIM To evaluate the impact of glycemic control and nutritional status after total pancreatectomy(TP) on complications, tumor recurrence and overall survival.METHODS Retrospective records of 52 patients with pancreatic tumors who underwent TP were collected from 2007 to 2015. A series of clinical parameters collected before and after surgery, and during the follow-up were evaluated. The associations of glycemic control and nutritional status with complications, tumor recurrence and long-term survival were determined. Risk factors for postoperative glycemic control and nutritional status were identified.RESULTS High early postoperative fasting blood glucose(FBG) levels(OR = 4.074, 95%CI: 1.188-13.965, P = 0.025) and low early postoperative prealbumin levels(OR = 3.816, 95%CI: 1.110-13.122, P = 0.034) were significantly associated with complications after TP. Postoperative Hb A1 c levels over 7%(HR = 2.655, 95%CI: 1.299-5.425, P = 0.007) were identified as one of the independent risk factors for tumor recurrence. Patients with postoperative Hb A1 c levels over 7% had much poorer overall survival than those with Hb A1 c levels less than 7%(9.3 mo vs 27.6 mo, HR = 3.212, 95%CI: 1.147-8.999, P = 0.026). Patients with long-term diabetes mellitus(HR = 15.019, 95%CI: 1.278-176.211, P= 0.031) and alcohol history(B = 1.985, SE = 0.860, P = 0.025) tended to have poor glycemic control and lower body mass index levels after TP, respectively.CONCLUSION At least 3 mo are required after TP to adapt to diabetes and recover nutritional status. Glycemic control appears to have more influence over nutritional status on longterm outcomes after TP. Improvement in glycemic control and nutritional status after TP is important to prevent early complications and tumor recurrence, and improve survival.