Secreted lumican from the tumor microenvironment potentiates HCC stemness and progression.

Background: Extracellular matrix proteins are tightly linked to cancer progression. HCC frequently arises from chronic liver diseases with varying degrees of parenchymal fibrosis. Herein, we aimed to investigate the roles of secreted lumican, an extracellular matrix proteoglycan, in HCC.

Defining Global Benchmarks for Robotic Liver Resections: An International Multicenter Study.

Objective: This study aimed to establish global benchmark outcomes indicators for robotic liver resections (R-LR).

Background: In recent years, minimally invasive liver resections and in particular R-LR has seen an increase in uptake in recent years. Although, benchmark outcomes have been recently established for laparoscopic (L) -LR, this has not been established for R-LR.

Novel Benchmark for Robotic Liver Resection - Bridging Tradition with Innovation.

Objective: To establish benchmark cutoffs for robotic liver resection (R-LR), encompassing both major and minor resections, and to determine the impact of patient selection on outcomes.

Background: R-LR is a key advancement in minimally invasive liver surgery but lacks standardized benchmarks, especially for minor resections. While guidelines endorse R-LR, its role in optimizing outcomes remains unclear.

Multimodal sequencing of neoadjuvant nivolumab treatment in hepatocellular carcinoma reveals cellular and molecular immune landscape for drug response.

A striking characteristic of liver cancer is its extensive heterogeneity, particularly with regard to its varied response to immunotherapy. In this study, we employed multimodal sequencing approaches to explore the various aspects of neoadjuvant nivolumab treatment in liver cancer patients. We used spatially-resolved transcriptomics, single- and bulk-cell transcriptomics, and TCR clonotype analyses to examine the spatiotemporal dynamics of the effects of nivolumab.

Comparative analysis of hepatectomy for HCC with PVTT: Insights from a 30-year single-center experience: Hepatectomy for HCC with PVTT.

Background And Aim: Portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) is frequent in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although hepatectomy is the primary treatment for HCC, no consensus exists on its role in PVTT between Eastern and Western clinicians. This study aims to assess the efficacy of hepatectomy in HCC patients with PVTT by analyzing perioperative outcomes and prognosis.

Association Between Viral Replication Activity and Postoperative Recurrence of HBV-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: Baseline viral replication activity influences the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Aims: To evaluate the impact of baseline viral replication activity on recurrence in HBV-related HCC after curative resection.

Methods: A multinational retrospective cohort of 2384 patients with very early or early-stage HBV-related HCC who consecutively underwent curative resection and received antiviral therapy (AVT) between 2010 and 2018 was analysed.

Validation of the Iwate scoring system for the stratification of laparoscopic liver resections: An international multicenter study.

Introduction: The Iwate difficulty scoring system (DSS) is one of the most widely validated DSS for laparoscopic liver resection (LLR). However, these studies only validated the 4 difficulty levels and did not validate the 12-point difficulty index of the system. To address current limitations in the studies validating the Iwate difficulty scoring system (DSS), we performed an international multicenter study to validate the Iwate DSS across both its four difficulty levels and 12-point difficulty index.

Global, Regional, and National Burden of Primary Liver Cancer Attributable to Metabolic Risks: An Analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990-2021.

Introduction: The global burden of metabolic diseases is increasing, but estimates of their impact on primary liver cancer are uncertain. We aimed to assess the global burden of primary liver cancer attributable to metabolic risk factors, including high body mass index (BMI) and high fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels, between 1990 and 2021.

Methods: The total number and age-standardized rates of deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from primary liver cancer attributable to each metabolic risk factor were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990-2021.

Multimodal multiphasic preoperative image-based deep-learning predicts HCC outcomes after curative surgery.

Background And Aims: HCC recurrence frequently occurs after curative surgery. Histological microvascular invasion (MVI) predicts recurrence but cannot provide preoperative prognostication, whereas clinical prediction scores have variable performances.

Approach And Results: Recurr-NET, a multimodal multiphasic residual-network random survival forest deep-learning model incorporating preoperative CT and clinical parameters, was developed to predict HCC recurrence.

Dual-tracer PET/CT in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background & Aims: Combined F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and C-acetate (dual-tracer) positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is being increasingly performed for the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), although its role is not well defined. Therefore, we evaluated its effectiveness in (i) staging, (ii) characterization of indeterminate lesions on conventional imaging, and (iii) detection of HCC in patients with unexplained elevations in serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels.

Methods: We retrospectively assessed 525 consecutive patients from three tertiary centers between 2014 and 2020.

A global survey on the use of the international classification of diseases codes for metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease.

Background: With the implementation of the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) and the publication of the metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) nomenclature in 2020, it is important to establish consensus for the coding of MAFLD in ICD-11. This will inform subsequent revisions of ICD-11.

Methods: Using the Qualtrics XM and WJX platforms, questionnaires were sent online to MAFLD-ICD-11 coding collaborators, authors of papers, and relevant association members.

Sorted-Cell Sequencing on HCC Specimens Reveals EPS8L3 as a Key Player in CD24/CD13/EpCAM-Triple Positive, Stemness-Related HCC Cells.

Background & Aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a heterogeneous cancer with varying levels of liver tumor initiating or cancer stem cells in the tumors. We aimed to investigate the expression of different liver cancer stem cell (LCSC) markers in human HCCs and identify their regulatory mechanisms in stemness-related cells.

Methods: We used an unbiased, single-marker sorting approach by flow cytometry, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and transcriptomic analyses on HCC patients' resected specimens.

Correlation of pathological examination with indocyanine green (ICG) intensity gradients: a prospective study in patients with liver tumor.

Background: Intraoperative indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging has been shown to be a new and innovative way to illustrate the optimal resection margin in hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma. This study investigated its accuracy in resection margin determination by looking into the correlation of ICG intensity gradients with pathological examination results of resected specimens.

Methods: This was a prospective, single-center, non-randomized controlled study.

Stage-by-stage analysis of the effect of blood transfusion on survival after curative hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma-a retrospective study.

Objective: This study is to examine the impact of perioperative (intraoperative/postoperative) blood transfusion on the outcomes of curative hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatectomy is a well-established curative treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma, and blood transfusion cannot always be avoided in treating the disease.

Methods: A retrospective study of patients having curative hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma from January 2010 to December 2019 at a single center was conducted.

Reciprocal interactions between malignant cells and macrophages enhance cancer stemness and M2 polarization in HBV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma.

The tumor microenvironment of cancers has emerged as a crucial component in regulating cancer stemness and plays a pivotal role in cell-cell communication. However, the specific mechanisms underlying these phenomena remain poorly understood. We performed the single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on nine HBV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.