Advances In Treatment Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Research Articles

Recent Advances in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment with Radionuclides.

As the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is characterized by late detection, difficult diagnosis and treatment, rapid progression, and poor prognosis. Current treatments for liver cancer include surgical resection, radiofrequency ablation, liver transplantation, chemotherapy, external radiation therapy, and internal radionuclide therapy. Radionuclide therapy is the use of high-energy radiation emitted by radionuclides to eradicate tumor cells, thus achieving the therapeutic effect. Recently, with the continuous development of biomedical technology, the application of radionuclides in treatment of HCC has progressed steadily. This review focuses on three types of radionuclide-based treatment regimens, including transarterial radioembolization (TARE), radioactive seed implantation, and radioimmunotherapy. Their research progress and clinical applications are summarized. The advantages, limitations, and clinical potential of radionuclide treatment of HCC are discussed.

Racial and Sex Disparities in Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the USA.

In this review, we aim to provide a summary of the current literature on race and gender disparities in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) incidence, stage at diagnosis, treatment and prognosis in the United States. HCC incidence rates are rising in the U.S. in all racial/ethnic groups except for Asian/Pacific Islanders, with disproportionate rises and the highest rates among Hispanics compared to Blacks and non-Hispanic whites. There are striking sex disparities in HCC incidence and mortality; however, with the shifting epidemiology of HCC risk factors in the U.S, there is recent evidence that HCC is trending towards less male predominance, particularly among younger birth cohorts. Despite significant advances in HCC treatment over the past decade, disparities in HCC surveillance and treatment receipt persist among racial and ethnic minorities and the socioeconomically disadvantaged. Black patients continue to experience worse survival outcomes than non-Black patients with HCC. There are significant racial and gender disparities in HCC incidence, treatment, and mortality in the U.S. Though these disparities are well-documented, data are still limited on the specific determinants driving disparities in HCC. To achieve health equity for all patients with HCC, we must advance beyond simply reporting on disparities and begin implementing targeted interventions to eliminate disparities.

Brain metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma: the role of surgery as a prognostic factor

BackgroundThe incidence of brain metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is expected to increase as a result of prolonged survival due to the recent advances in HCC treatment. However, there is no definite treatment strategy for brain metastasis from HCC mainly due to its rarity and dismal prognosis. To provide helpful recommendations in treatment of brain metastasis from HCC, the authors aimed to identify prognostic factors that influence survival rates with a review of the recently published data.MethodsThirty-three cases of brain metastasis, whose incidence was 0.65%, were selected from a total of 5015 HCC patients and reviewed retrospectively in terms of clinical and radiological features.ResultsMedian overall survival time after diagnosis of brain metastasis was 10.4 weeks (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.1-15.7 weeks) with 1-, 6- and 12-month survival rates, of 79%, 24% and 6%, respectively. Median survival of the patients treated with surgical resection or surgical resection followed by whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) (25.3 weeks; range, 15.8-34.8 weeks) was longer than that of the patients treated with gamma knife surgery (GKS), WBRT, or GKS followed by WBRT (10.4 weeks; range, 7.5-13.3 weeks) as well as that of patients treated with only steroids (1 week; range, 0.0-3.3 weeks) (p < 0.001). Child-Pugh’s classification A group had a longer median survival time than Child-Pugh’s classification B or C group (14.4 weeks vs 8.4 weeks, p = 0.038). RPA class I & II group had also a longer median survival time than RPA class III group did (13.4 weeks vs 2.4 weeks, p = 0.001). Surgical resection (hazard ratio [HR] 0.23, 95% CI 0.08-0.66, p = 0.006) and good liver function at the time of brain metastasis (HR 0.25, 95% CI 0.09-0.69, p = 0.007) were found to be the powerful prognostic factors for favorable survival in the multivariate analysis. In addition, presence of intratumoral hemorrhage was a statistically significant prognostic factor for survival.ConclusionAlthough HCC patients with brain metastasis showed a very dismal prognosis, surgical intervention was shown to lead to relative prolongation of the survival time, especially in those with preserved hepatic function.

Alcohol-Preferring High Alcohol Drinking (HAD2) Rats: A Model for Ethanol-Induced Liver Neoplasia

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant cause of mortality from solid organ malignancies. Although advances in treatment of HCC continue to be made, the prognosis remains poor with a median survival time of approximately 8 months. Alcohol is an increasingly recognized precursor for the development of HCC. Force-fed models of ethanol intake have failed to show alcohol as a carcinogen. Models of preferential alcohol intake have not been routinely employed for liver dysplasia studies.