Redefining Hepatocellular Carcinoma Staging Systems Based on the Bile Duct Invasion Status: A Multicenter Study

Background and AimsThe prognostic value of bile duct invasion (BDI) remains controversial. We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of BDI and the stage of BDI in different staging systems.MethodsPatients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from nine hepatobiliary medical centers who underwent R0 resection were included. Overall survival (OS) was assessed using the Kaplan–Meier method and tested using the log-rank test. The prognostic effect of BDI was analyzed using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analyses. The predictive performance of these models was evaluated using the concordance index and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve (tdAUC).ResultsOf 1021 patients with HCC, 177 had BDI. OS was worse in the HCC with BDI group than in the HCC without BDI group (p<0.001); multivariate analysis identified BDI as an independent risk factor for OS. After adjustment for interference of confounding factors using the Cox proportional hazard regression model, HCC with BDI and without macrovascular invasion was classified as Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) B, eighth edition American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) IIIA, and China Liver Cancer (CNLC) IIb, respectively, whereas HCC with BDI and macrovascular was classified as BCLC C, AJCC IIIB, and CNLC IIIA, respectively. C-indexes and tdAUCs of the adjusted staging systems were superior to those of the corresponding current staging systems.ConclusionWe constructed adjusted staging systems with the BDI status, improved their predictive performance and facilitate clinical use.

Obstructive Jaundice Following Transarterial Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Bile Duct Invasion

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with bile duct invasion is considered rare. A case in which a fragment of intraductal tumor dropped into the common bile duct after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and caused abdominal pain, and obstructive jaundice secondary to biliary obstruction is presented. This case was successfully managed by emergent endoscopic sphincterotomy. Physicians should recognize one of the complications due to TACE for HCC with intraductal tumor invasion.

Impacts Of Tumor Location On Prognosis Of Patients With Gallbladder Carcinoma

Objective: To investigate the impacts of tumor location on the prognosis of patients with T1-3N0-1M0 gallbladder carcinoma(GBC) after radical surgery.Methods: Totally, 136 patients with stage T1-3 gallbladder carcinoma after radical surgery from 2000 to 2018 were enrolled and divided into two groups according to anatomic location of GBC (neck /body and fundus). The clinicopathological features and survival time were compared between these two groups. At last, in combination with the difference between the liver side and the peritoneal side of the tumor, survival analysis and multivariable Cox-proportional hazards regression models were performed in GBC patients with survival differences between gallbladder neck and body/fundus tumors.Results: The bile duct invasion, lymph node metastasis, tumor growth pattern, jaundice, albumin, and tumor markers were significantly related to the tumors in neck of gallbladder(P<0.05). Besides, patients with GBC in body and fundus of gallbladder had a higher rate of appearing microscopic liver metastasis(P<0.05). Survival analysis showed that there was significant difference on patients with stage T2 GBC in different tumor location (neck /body and fundus), but no significant difference on stage T1 and T3. Further combining the differences between the liver side and the peritoneal side of the tumor, tumor location, lymph node metastasis, bile duct invasion, microscopic liver metastasis, tumor differentiation, and jaundice were deemed as prognostic factors according to univariable survival analysis. Among these factors, multivariable Cox analysis showed that lymph node metastasis and tumor location were independent prognostic factors for survival of patients with T2 GBC (P <0.05).Conclusions: Tumor location is an important prognostic factor for GBC, especially for the patients with T2 stage. Besides the survival differences between the hepatic-side and peritoneal-side tumors, tumor in neck is also one of the factors predicting the poor prognosis at T2 stage. GBC in neck was more prone to cause bile duct invasion, lymph node metastasis and jaundice. However, tumors in body and fundus were more likely to appear microscopic liver metastasis. Further refinement of the surgery for T2 GBC according to the tumor location may improve their survival time.

A Squamous Cell Gallbladder Carcinoma: A Case Report and Literature Review

: Squamous Cell (SQC) is rare type among gallbladder cancer (GBC) and it has very poor prognosis due to frequent local invasion and advanced stage at diagnosis. The clinical course and prognostic factors of them has not been known well until now. The aim of this report is to present an unresectable SQC-GBC case treated by concurrent chemo-radiation treatment (CCRT) and compare the results of treatment with previous reported case series. This is a case report of a 57 years old female patient, diagnosed as unresectable primary pure SQC of GBC with bile duct invasion and multiple liver and lymph node metastases. She underwent CCRT with best supportive care (BSC) including percutaneous and endoscopic drainage of malignant biliary obstruction, and partial response was achieved. However, patient was expired due to metastatic invasion of colon and uterus in 10 months after first diagnosis.

Triple Covered Metal Stent Deployment Using Side-by-Side Technique for Hemobilia due to Hepatocellular Carcinoma (with Video)

A hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) rarely expands into the biliary tract. In this situation, because of its hypervascular nature, cholangitis or hemobilia may sometimes occur. Surgery is one of the options in this situation. However, patients with HCC and bile duct invasion are sometimes in a poor general condition, as in the case presented in this report. For such patients, surgical treatment may need to be invasive. Thus, here we report technical tips for triple covered metal stent deployment using side-by-side technique for hemobilia due to HCC. After guidewire deployments at the left, anterior, and posterior bile ducts, 6-mm covered self-expandable metal stents were placed at each bile duct. This may be useful for high-grade hepatic hilar obstruction due to HCC because drainage and hemostasis effects are obtained.