Chang-Kuo Wei

The safety and adequacy of resection on hepatocellular carcinoma larger than 10 cm: A retrospective study over 10 years

Background/purpose Current treatment options for HCC≥10 cm (huge HCC) are limited. Otherwise, the margin status is known as a prognostic factor. Our aim was to determine the safety, effectiveness, and risk factors for overall survival and disease-free survival for these patients. Methods A total of 211 consecutive patients from 2000/08 to 2010/12 were enrolled. Characteristics of patients, tumors, and treatment were compared between the huge group (HCCs; ≥10 cm, n = 23; 11%) and those with smaller group (HCC; <10 cm n = 188; 89%). Disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and risk factors were analyzed. Results Median follow up was 37 months. Patients with huge HCC were more likely to be symptomatic, positive for preoperative portal vein thrombosis, longer surgical time, more blood loss and transfusions, and significantly shorter median OS and DFS. Both groups had similar postoperative mortality and morbidity rates. In the huge HCC, multivariate analysis identified two significant determinants of DFS (preoperative portal vein thrombosis on imaging and tumor-free margin less than 1 mm) and two significant determinants of OS (age over 80 and preoperative portal vein thrombosis). Even with positive margins, it still had no impact on OS. For DFS, 1 mm free margins appeared to be adequate. Conclusion Tumor-free margin is an independent risk factor for recurrence but has no impact on OS. Surgical margin >1 mm is adequate in patients with tumors ≥10 cm. Postoperative close follow up, especially of distant metastasis, and appropriate treatment of recurrence by a multidisciplinary approach may improve prognosis.

Donor-derived Cryptococcus infection in liver transplant: case report and literature review.

Cryptococcosis occurring within 30 days after transplant is unusual. We present a case of cryptococcosis diagnosed within 2 weeks of liver transplant and cryptococcal infection transmitted by liver transplant is considered as the cause. A 63-year-old woman with hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma had an orthotopic liver transplant from a 45-year-old donor. The immediate postoperative course was smooth, although she was confused with a fever, tachycardia, respiratory failure of 1 weeks duration after the orthotopic liver transplant. A liver biopsy was performed for hyperbilirubinemia 2 weeks after the orthotopic liver transplant that showed a Cryptococcus-like yeast. Her blood culture was reexamined, and it was confirmed as Cryptococcus neoformans that had been misinterpreted as candida initially. At the time of the re-examination, her sputum was clear. We checked her preoperative blood sample, retrospectively, for serum cryptococcal antigen with negative result. She was on liposomal amphotericin treatment for 1 month when her blood culture became negative. She was discharged home, with good liver function and a low antigen titer for cryptococcal infection. Cryptococcal disease usually develops at a mean of 5.6 months after transplant. However an early occurrence is rare. Apart from that, its variable clinical presentations make early detection difficult. It might be an early reactivation or a donor-derived infection. The latter usually occurs in unusual sites (eg, the transplanted organ as the sole site of involvement). Our case presented as cryptococcoma and liver involvement was diagnosed by an unintentional liver biopsy.

Clinical and Pathologic Factors Affecting Lymph Node Yields in Colorectal Cancer

Objective Lymph node yield is recommended as a benchmark of quality care in colorectal cancer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of various factors upon lymph node yield and to identify independent factors associated with lymph node harvest. Materials and Methods The records of 162 patients with Stage I to Stage III colorectal cancers seen in one institution were reviewed. These patients underwent radical surgery as definitive therapy; high-risk patients then received adjuvant treatment. Pathologic and demographic data were recorded and analyzed. The subgroup analysis of lymph node yields was determined using a t-test and analysis of variants. Linear regression model and multivariable analysis were used to perform potential confounding and predicting variables. Results Five variables had significant association with lymph node yield after adjustment for other factors in a multiple linear regression model. These variables were: tumor size, surgical method, specimen length, and individual surgeon and pathologist. The model with these five significant variables interpreted 44.4% of the variation. Conclusions Patients, tumor characteristics and surgical variables all influence the number of lymph nodes retrieved. Physicians are the main gatekeepers. Adequate training and optimized guidelines could greatly improve the quality of lymph node yields.

The association of socioeconomic status and access to low-volume service providers in breast cancer.

Background No large-scale study has explored the combined effect of patients’ individual and neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) on their access to a low-volume provider for breast cancer surgery. The purpose of this study was to explore under a nationwide universal health insurance system whether breast cancer patients from a lower individual and neighborhood SES are disproportionately receiving breast cancer surgery from low-volume providers. Methods 5,750 patients who underwent breast cancer surgery in 2006 were identified from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to compare the access to a low-volume provider between the different individual and neighborhood SES groups after adjusting for possible confounding and risk factors. Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit statistic was used to determine how well the model fit the data. Results Univariate analysis data shows that patients in disadvantaged neighborhood were more likely to receive breast cancer surgery at low-volume hospitals; and lower-SES patients were more likely to receive surgery from low-volume surgeons. In multivariate analysis, after adjusting for patient characteristics, the odds ratios of moderate- and low-SES patients in disadvantaged neighborhood receiving surgery at low-volume hospitals was 1.47 (95% confidence interval=1.19-1.81) and 1.31 (95% confidence interval=1.05-1.64) respectively compared with high-SES patients in advantaged neighborhood. Moderate- and low-SES patients from either advantaged or disadvantaged neighborhood had an odds ratios ranging from 1.51 to 1.80 (p<0.001) to receiving surgery from low-volume surgeons. In Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test, p>0.05 that shows the model has a good fit. Conclusions In this population-based cross-sectional study, even under a nationwide universal health insurance system, disparities in access to healthcare existed. Breast cancer patients from a lower individual and neighborhood SES are more likely to receive breast cancer surgery from low-volume providers. The authorities and public health policies should keep focusing on these vulnerable groups.

Giant Right Hepatic Hemangioma

Hemangiomas are the most common benign tumors of the liver. Most of them remain stable. However, when a hemangioma continues to grow, it may become symptomatic. We describe a 40-year-old woman who initially presented with a hemangioma approximately 3 cm in diameter in the right lobe of the liver. Eight years after the initial presentation, the hemangioma had grown to 11×8 cm with the symptom of abdominal pain. She was managed with conservative treatment at another hospital. However, the symptoms and tumor bothered her physically and psychologically for 1 year. Surgical resection was performed to relieve her symptoms. The huge tumor was compressing the inferior vena cava and was very close to the middle hepatic vein, which made the operation difficult. The postoperative course was uneventful. We suggest early surgical resection for symptomatic giant hepatic hemangiomas. We also review reports in the literature about the treatment of symptomatic hepatic hemangiomas, including surgery, transcatheter arterial embolization and radiofrequency ablation.

Long-term follow-up of central hepatocellular carcinoma in comparison with non-central hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Multiple hepatic vessels and portal vessels are distributed in the central segments of the liver (segments IV, V and VIII). Due to its anatomical complexity, in centrally-located hepatocellular carcinoma (cHCC) it is theoretically not easy to reach a wide margin, as it is in non-central hepatocellular carcinoma (ncHCC) (segments II, III, VII and VIII). We compared their outcomes to see if cHCC has an inferior result than ncHCC. METHODOLOGY From August 2000 to July 2008, 213 HCC patients received curative-intended resection. Sixty-nine cHCC (group A) and 64 ncHCC (group B) received trisegmentectomy (include mesohepatectomy), bi-segmentectomy, mono-segmentectomy or subsegmentectomy. The outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS The in-hospital mortality was 0% and 3.12% in groups A and B, respectively (p=0.55). The morbidity was 27.5% and 28.1% in groups A and B, respectively (p=0.23). The 1- and 3-year disease-free survival were 68%, 50% and 62%, 33% in groups A and B, respectively (p=0.39). The 1- and 3-year overall survival rates were 83%, 75% and 89%, 70% in groups A and B, respectively (p=0.91). Tumor size and numbers were significant factors for disease-free and overall survival. CONCLUSIONS cHCC treated by partial hepatectomy and mesohepatectomy has a comparable result to ncHCC. Mesohepatectomy is needed only in some selected patients.

High-Grade Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma Concomitant with Tubulovillous Adenoma of the Ampulla of Vater — A Case Report

We report a case of high grade large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma concomitant with tubulovillous adenoma of the ampulla of Vater. A 76-year-old woman presented with generalized jaundice without complaints of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, or pruritus of the skin. The patient survived for only 4 months after curative pancreaticoduodenectomy due to tumor recurrence and liver metastasis. This tumor is extremely rare at this location and its prognosis is much worse than its counterpart of adenocarcinoma. Effective adjuvant therapy has not been found.

Better Long-Term Prognosis: Comparison Between Surgery and TACE as Initial Treatment for Operable Huge HCCs (≥10 cm) After More Than 5 Years of Follow Up

The objective of this study was to research the long-term survival difference between surgery and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for operatable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ≥10 cm. Little...

Delayed-Onset Chylous Ascites After a Living-Donor Liver Transplant: First Case Successfully Treated With Conservative Treatment?

Chylous ascites is a rare complication in liver transplant. Few cases have been reported to date. In most cases, chylous ascites is diagnosed within 1 month after surgery because of intraoperative injury of the hilar lymphatic system. Preoperative massive ascites and use of a LigaSure vessel sealing system for hilar dissection have been reported as risk factors. We report a case of chylous ascites after a living-donor liver transplant that was diagnosed after 6 months of uneventful follow-up. Sirolimus was added to cyclosporine early (2 wk after the operation) owing to poor renal function and it was found to be high (> 22 ng/mL) when the chylous ascites occurred. The patient was treated with total parenteral nutrition in combination with Sandostatin and rapid tapering of sirolimus after the failed initial conservative treatment. Residual abdominal fullness after meals and lymphedema of the legs disappeared 1 month after discontinuing sirolimus. This is the first case of delayed-onset chylous ascites after a liver transplant that was successfully treated conservatively.