1.Introduction Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the most common primary malignancy of the liver.HCC is the sixth most frequently diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-relatedmortality worldwide.[1]Part...1.Introduction Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the most common primary malignancy of the liver.HCC is the sixth most frequently diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-relatedmortality worldwide.[1]Partial hepatectomy is recommended for patients with early stage HCC.[2]A large proportion of patients with HCC inChina are diagnosed in the intermediate to advanced HCC stages,rendering them ineligible for hepatectomy due to aspects such as liver dysfunction,insufficient residual liver volume,or surgical technique.展开更多
BACKGROUND Salvage surgery following conversion therapy[transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE)combined with tyrosine kinase inhibitors(TKIs)and anti-programmed cell death protein 1(PD-1)antibodies]provides a c...BACKGROUND Salvage surgery following conversion therapy[transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE)combined with tyrosine kinase inhibitors(TKIs)and anti-programmed cell death protein 1(PD-1)antibodies]provides a chance for a cure in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma(uHCC).AIM To primarily analyze the efficacy and safety of salvage surgery in patients initially diagnosed with uHCC who underwent conversion therapy.METHODS We retrospectively collected data from patients at the First Affiliated Hospital of the University of Science and Technology of China(Anhui Provincial Hospital)who met the study criteria.These patients were initially diagnosed with uHCC and received TACE combined with TKIs and anti-PD-1 antibodies as conversion therapy.The main endpoints studied were the safety of salvage surgery,overall survival(OS),and recurrence-free survival(RFS)after surgery.Secondary endpoints included postoperative complications.We performed univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses to identify independent risk factors for postoperative RFS.RESULTS A total of 117 patients were enrolled in this study,including 28 patients(23.9%)who underwent curative surgery after triplet therapy conversion treatment.Among the 28 patients who underwent salvage surgery,the 1-year and 2-year RFS rates were 75.0%and 59.4%,respectively,and the 1-year and 2-year OS rates were 92.7%and 87.6%,respectively.The median follow-up time after surgery was 15.0 months(range:1.6-37.2 months),with median OS and RFS not yet reached.Pathological complete response was achieved in 14 cases(50.0%),and postoperative complications occurred in 20 patients(71.4%).Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses indicated that pathological complete response and preoperative albumin levels were risk factors for postoperative RFS.CONCLUSION Salvage surgery following conversion therapy with TACE combined with TKIs and anti-PD-1 antibodies appears to be an effective and safe treatment option for patients with uHCC.It extends OS and may offer additional potential benefits to uHCC patients.展开更多
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)has become a growing health concern globally.Microvascular invasion and high tumor burden are key factors limiting the curative effect of selective internal radiation therapy(SI...BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)has become a growing health concern globally.Microvascular invasion and high tumor burden are key factors limiting the curative effect of selective internal radiation therapy(SIRT).CASE SUMMARY This case study reports a 49-year-old woman who was diagnosed with China Liver Cancer Staging(CNLC)IIIa HCC and>15 cm tumor diameter.Initially,due to insufficient future liver remnant and vascular invasion,the tumor was unresectable;however,radical hepatectomy was performed after successful conversion therapy with SIRT using yttrium-90(90Y)resin microspheres followed by hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy(HAIC)with tyrosine kinase inhibitor(TKI)and anti-programmed death-1(PD-1)antibody.SIRT using 90Y resin microspheres was given by the right hepatic artery and chemoembolization was simultaneously performed in the tumor’s feeding vessels from the right diaphragmatic artery.HAIC was followed every three weeks with lenvatinib and tislelizumab.At 4 months post-SIRT,the tumor was downstaged to CNLC Ib and the patient successfully underwent hepatectomy.The histopathological examination of the resected specimen showed extensive necrosis.CONCLUSION This case study provides evidence for an integrated treatment strategy combining SIRT and HAIC with TKI and anti-PD-1 antibodies for patients with large HCC and microvascular invasion.Further confirmatory trials are required in the future.展开更多
In the study by Wu et al,patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma were subjected to transarterial chemoembolization(TACE)as a conversion therapy in order to render their tumors suitable for resection.A nomo...In the study by Wu et al,patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma were subjected to transarterial chemoembolization(TACE)as a conversion therapy in order to render their tumors suitable for resection.A nomogram was devised and shown to be effective in predicting the survival of these patients.Generalization of the results,however,is questionable since the study subjects consisted of patients who had resection after TACE while excluding patients with the same disease but not suitable for TACE.Immunotherapy can be considered to be an option for conversion therapy.However,markers for determining responses to a conversion therapy and for guiding the decision between TACE and sequential immunotherapy have been lacking.The question of whether effective conversion therapy can truly enhance overall survival remains unanswered.展开更多
BACKGROUND Most patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)have lost the opportunity for direct surgery at the time of diagnosis.Transarterial chemoembolization(TACE)combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors or tyros...BACKGROUND Most patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)have lost the opportunity for direct surgery at the time of diagnosis.Transarterial chemoembolization(TACE)combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors or tyrosine kinase inhibitors(TKI)can partially transform some unresectable HCC and improve the prognosis ef-fectively.However,based on the promising prospects of combined targeted and immunotherapy for the effective treatment of HCC,the positive role of palliative surgery in the conversion treatment of advanced HCC urgently needs further in-tensive re-assessment.CASE SUMMARY In this study,we describe two successful cases of"conversion therapy for un-resectable HCC"achieved mainly by palliative surgery combined with TACE plus immunotherapy and TKIs.A 48-year-old patient with newly diagnosed HCC,presenting with a 6-cm mass in the segment VII/VIII of the right liver with mul-tiple intrahepatic metastases,could not undergo one-stage radical surgical resection.He underwent palliative surgery with radiofrequency of metastatic lesions and the palliative resection of the primary mass,and received subsequent TACE treatments twice in the early postoperative period(2 weeks and 6 weeks),in addition to targeted and immune combination therapy with sintilimab injection and oral lenvatinib.No evidence of recurrence was observed during the 11-month follow-up period after surgery.The other patient was a 47-year-old patient with massive HCC(18 cm×15 cm×4.5 cm)in the left liver with severe cirrhosis.The left portal branch was occluded and a tumor thrombus formed,and the tumor partly involved the middle hepatic vein.The patient underwent palliative surgery of left hemihepatectomy(including resection of the middle hepatic vein)for HCC,followed by three TACE procedures and oral TKIs 2 weeks after surgery.Six months later,the re-examination via computed tomography revealed no tumour activity in the remaining right liver,while magnetic resonance imaging revealed slight local tumor enhancement in the caudate lobe of the liver considered,TACE was performed once again,and during the next follow-up of 10 months did not reveal new intrahepatic lesions or distant metastases.CONCLUSION These cases demonstrate that the addition of palliative surgery to conversion therapy in a selected population with a high tumor burden could benefit patients with initially unresectable HCC.展开更多
Recently,the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology published an article entitled“Pathologically successful conversion hepatectomy for advanced giant hepatocellular carcinoma after multidisciplinary therapy:A cas...Recently,the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology published an article entitled“Pathologically successful conversion hepatectomy for advanced giant hepatocellular carcinoma after multidisciplinary therapy:A case report and review of the literature”,in which the authors shared their successful experience with complete surgical resection after multidisciplinary conversion therapy.The study by Chu et al demonstrates the great challenges that the advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)poses to surgical oncology,reveals the complexity of conversion therapy for unresectable HCC,emphasizes the important role of a multidisciplinary management model in conversion therapy,and enriches our understanding of the dynamics of personalized treatment for different patients.At present,conversion therapy is a hot research topic in the treatment of unresectable HCC,which has brought new hope to many patients with moderately advanced HCC.However,there are still many urgent problems to be solved in conversion therapy.Here,we would like to further discuss the advances and challenges of conversion therapy for unresectable HCC with the authors and the general readers.展开更多
In this editorial,I comment on three articles published in the recent issue of the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology.Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is an important public health concern,and there are three arti...In this editorial,I comment on three articles published in the recent issue of the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology.Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is an important public health concern,and there are three articles on the theme of HCC in this issue.I focus on the articles by Mu et al,Chu et al,and Ma et al for this editorial.While these articles may be considered as low-quality evidence,and the results cannot be generalized to non-hepatitis-B or C virus patients,the discussion of the results is important.In addition,though all the articles are from China,the relevance of the results is not minuscule.As resection is the main form of curative treatment modality owing to a donor liver shortage,surgeons need to be aware that preoperative long-course antiviral therapy can improve clinical outcomes by reducing postoperative liver dysfunction and recurrence of HCC following resection.Similarly,patients with super-giant HCC(defined as≥15 cm diameter)should also be carefully considered for liver resection,and if it is unresectable upfront,then a combination of liver-directed therapy and systemic therapy may downstage HCC.If,following downstaging,the patient qualifies for liver resection based on locally prevalent resectability criteria,then such therapy is labelled as conversion(from unresectable to resectable)therapy.In unresectable patients treated by a combination of treatment options,serological markers like neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and alpha-fetoprotein are reported to predict treatment responses,thus enabling personalized medicine.展开更多
BACKGROUND Patient-derived organoids(PDOs)have been demonstrated to predict the response to drugs in multiple cancer types.However,it remains unclear about its application in cholangiocarcinoma.CASE SUMMARY A 59-year-...BACKGROUND Patient-derived organoids(PDOs)have been demonstrated to predict the response to drugs in multiple cancer types.However,it remains unclear about its application in cholangiocarcinoma.CASE SUMMARY A 59-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital due to upper abdominal pain for over 8 months.According to relevant examinations,she was diagnosed as perihilar cholangiocarcinoma(pCCA)with intrahepatic metastasis and perihilar lymphatic metastasis.After multidisciplinary team discussion,percutaneous transhepatic cholangiodrainage was performed to relieve biliary obstruction,and puncture biopsy was conducted to confirm the pathological diagnosis.Transarterial chemoembolization with nab-paclitaxel was used in combination with toripalimab and lenvatinib,but the levels of tumor markers including alpha fetal protein,carcinoembryonic antigen,carbohydrate antigen 15-3 and cancer antigen 125 were still raised.The PDO for drug screening showed sensitive to gemcitabine and cisplatin.Accordingly,the chemotherapy regimen was adjusted to gemcitabine and cisplatin in combination with toripalimab and lenvatinib.After 4 cycles of treatment,the tumor was assessed resectable,and radical surgical resection was performed successfully.One year after surgery,the patient was still alive,and no recurrence or occurred.CONCLUSION PDOs for drug sensitivity contribute to screening effective chemotherapy drugs for advanced pCCA,promoting conversion therapy and improving the prognosis.展开更多
BACKGROUND For primary liver cancer,the key to conversion therapy depends on the effectiveness of drug treatment.Patient-derived tumor organoids have been demonstrated to improve the efficacy of conversion therapy by ...BACKGROUND For primary liver cancer,the key to conversion therapy depends on the effectiveness of drug treatment.Patient-derived tumor organoids have been demonstrated to improve the efficacy of conversion therapy by identifying individualtargeted effective drugs,but their clinical effects in liver cancer remain unknown.CASE SUMMARY We described a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)who achieved pathologic complete response(pCR)to conversion therapy guided by the patientderived organoid(PDO)drug sensitivity testing.Despite insufficiency of the remaining liver volume after hepatectomy,the patient obtained tumor reduction after treatment with the PDO-sensitive drugs and successfully underwent radical surgical resection.Postoperatively,pCR was observed.CONCLUSION PDOs contributes to screening sensitive drugs for HCC patients to realize the personalized treatment and improve the conversion therapy efficacy.展开更多
Background:The efficacy of combining immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)with chemotherapy in neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced gastric cancer has been explored.However,limited research exists on its effectivenes...Background:The efficacy of combining immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)with chemotherapy in neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced gastric cancer has been explored.However,limited research exists on its effectiveness in conversion therapy,and its superiority over standalone chemotherapy remains to be elucidated.This study aims to investigate the efficacy and survival outcomes of patients treated with ICIs in combination with conversion therapy for locally advanced gastric cancer.Methods:Retrospective data from patients with locally advanced gastric cancer treated with either oxaliplatin+S-1(SOX)alone or in combination with ICIs in conversion therapywere collected.Clinical andpathological characteristics,disease-free survival,andefficacy assessments in nonoperable patients were compared between the 2 treatment groups.Efficacy was further evaluated through dynamic changes in serum markers,and patients’quality of life was assessed using the QLQ-STO22(Gastric Cancer–Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire)quality-of-life measurement scale.Results:A total of 140 patients underwent conversion therapy:80 in the SOX alone group and 60 in the SOX combined with the ICIs group.There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the 2 groups.Compared with the SOX alone group,the SOX combined with ICIs group exhibited a higher conversion rate(83.3%vs 75%,P=0.23),R0 resection rate(90.0%vs 83.3%,P=0.31),pathological complete response(pCR)rate(18%vs 5%,P=0.02),median disease-free survival(21.4 vs 16.9 months,P=0.007),the objective response rate in nonoperable patients(60%vs 40%,P=0.301),and median progression-free survival time(7.9 vs 5.7 months,P=0.009).The QLQ-STO22 quality-of-life assessment revealed statistically significant improvements in pain,swallowing difficulties,and dietary restrictions in the combination therapy group compared with those in the monotherapy group.The enhanced efficacy of immune combination with SOX is evident,as demonstrated by the significantly prolonged surgical duration in operated patients(206.6±26.6 min vs 197.8±19.8 min,P=0.35)and intraoperative blood loss(158.9±21.2 mL vs 148.9±25.1 mL,P=0.59).No significant differences were observed in postoperative complications.Conclusions:Compared with the SOX conversion therapy regimen,SOX combined with ICIs demonstrated higher conversion rates,R0 resection rates,pathological response rates,and disease-free survival without increasing surgical difficulty or complications.Nonoperable patients also experienced longer progression-free survival and objective response rates.展开更多
The concept and strategy of advanced gastric cancer treatment have gradually undergone profound changes with the in-depth understanding of the biology and heterogeneous characteristics of gastric cancer.Moreover,the d...The concept and strategy of advanced gastric cancer treatment have gradually undergone profound changes with the in-depth understanding of the biology and heterogeneous characteristics of gastric cancer.Moreover,the development and application of new anticancer drugs,including chemotherapy drugs,molecularly targeted drugs and immunotherapy drugs for advanced gastric cancer are reported.The connotation of conversion therapy refers to the unresectable or borderline resectable tumors for surgical technical and/or oncological reasons,after active and effective chemotherapy and other comprehensive treatment,the primary gastric lesions can be reduced to a lower stage,while the metastatic lesions can be effectively controlled,to achieve R0 resection and improve the long-term survival rate.Current promising research results of conversion therapy are mostly from single-arm phase II clinical studies with small samples or retrospective studies.Conversion therapy still faces many challenges,including limited diagnostic and assessment methods,insufficient evidence of highly effective treatment regimens,difficulty in clarifying surgical indications,etc.Therefore,the integrated conversion therapy for advanced gastric cancer needs to be carried out with the close cooperation of a multidisciplinary team.Prospective,multi-center randomized controlled trial studies should be conducted in the future,and precision medicine such as molecular biology should be combined to provide better anticancer drug regimens and higher-level clinical evidence for conversion therapy of advanced gastric cancer.展开更多
Background:Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the sixth most common cancer globally,with limited therapies and unsatisfactory prognosis once in the advanced stages.With promising advances in locoregional and systematic t...Background:Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the sixth most common cancer globally,with limited therapies and unsatisfactory prognosis once in the advanced stages.With promising advances in locoregional and systematic treatments,fast development of targeted drugs,the success of immunotherapy,as well as the emergence of the therapeutic alliance,conversion therapy has recently become more well developed and an effective therapeutic strategy.This article aimed to review recent developments in conversion therapy in liver transplantation(LT)for HCC.Data sources:We searched for relevant publications on Pub Med before September 2022,using the terms“HCC”,“liver transplantation”,“downstaging”,“bridging treatment”and“conversion therapy.”Results:Conversion therapy was frequently represented as a combination of multiple treatment modalities to downstage HCC and make patients eligible for LT.Although combining various local and systematic treatments in conversion therapy is still controversial,growing evidence has suggested that multimodal combined treatment strategies downstage HCC in a shorter time,which ultimately increases the opportunities for LT.Moreover,the recent breakthrough of immunotherapy and targeted therapy for HCC also benefit patients with advanced-stage tumors.Conclusions:In the era of targeted therapy and immunotherapy,applying the thinking of transplant oncology to benefit HCC patients receiving LT is a new topic that has shed light on advanced-stage patients.With the expansion of conversion therapy concepts,further investigation and research is required to realize the full potential of conversion treatment strategies,including accurately selecting candidates,determining the timing of surgery,improving the conversion rate,and guaranteeing the safety and long-term efficacy of treatment.展开更多
BACKGROUND About 20%-30%of newly diagnosed hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)patients are surgically feasible due to a variety of reasons.Active conversion therapy may provide opportunities of surgery for these patients.Ne...BACKGROUND About 20%-30%of newly diagnosed hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)patients are surgically feasible due to a variety of reasons.Active conversion therapy may provide opportunities of surgery for these patients.Nevertheless,the choice of surgical procedure is controversial after successful conversion therapy.We report a patient with HCC who underwent successful laparoscopic right trisectionectomy after conversion therapy with portal vein embolization and transarterial chemoembolization.CASE SUMMARY A 67-year-old male patient presented to our hospital with epigastric distention/discomfort and nausea/vomiting for more than 1 mo.Contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan of the abdomen demonstrated multiple tumors(the largest was≥10 cm in diameter)located in the right liver and left medial lobe,and the left lateral lobe was normal.The future remnant liver(FRL)of the left lateral lobe accounted for only 18%of total liver volume after virtual resection on the three-dimensional liver model.Conversion therapy was adopted after orally administered entecavir for antiviral treatment.First,the right portal vein was embolized.Then tumor embolization was performed via the variant hepatic arteries.After 3 wk,the FRL of the left lateral lobe accounted for nearly 30%of the total liver volume.Totally laparoscopic right trisectionectomy was performed under combined epidural and general anesthesia.The in situ resection was performed via an anterior approach.The operating time was 240 min.No clamping was required during the surgery,and the intraoperative blood loss was 300 mL.There were no postoperative complications such as bile leakage,and the incision healed well.The patient was discharged on the 8th postoperative day.During the 3-mo follow-up,there was no recurrence and obvious hyperplasia of residual liver was observed.Alpha-fetoprotein decreased significantly and tended to be normal.CONCLUSION Due to the different biological characteristics of the liver cancer and the pathophysiological features of the liver from other organs,the conversion treatment should take into account both the feasibility of tumor downstaging and the volume and function of the remnant liver.Our case provides a reference for clinicians in terms of both conversion therapy and laparoscopic right trisectionectomy.展开更多
BACKGROUND The efficacy of conversion therapy for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is a common clinical concern.AIM To analyse the prognostic factors of overall survival(OS)in patients with unre...BACKGROUND The efficacy of conversion therapy for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is a common clinical concern.AIM To analyse the prognostic factors of overall survival(OS)in patients with unresectable HCC who received conversion therapy.METHODS One hundred and fifty patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled and divided into a training cohort(n=120)and a validation cohort(n=30).Using the independent risk factors in the training cohort,a nomogram model was constructed to predict OS for patients treated with transarterial chemoembolization following hepatic resection.The nomogram was internally validated with the bootstrapping method.The predictive performance of nomogram was assessed by Harrell’s concordance index(C-index),calibration plot and timedependent receiver operating characteristic curves and compared with six other conventional HCC staging systems.RESULTS Multivariate Cox analysis identified that albumin,blood urea nitrogen,gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase to platelet ratio,platelet to lymphocyte ratio,macrovascular invasion and tumour number were the six independent prognostic factors correlated with OS in nomogram model.The C-index in the training cohort and validation cohort were 0.752 and 0.807 for predicting OS,which were higher than those of the six conventional HCC staging systems(0.563 to 0.715 for the training cohort and 0.458 to 0.571 for the validation cohort).The calibration plots showed good consistency between the nomogram prediction of OS and the actual observations of OS.Decision curve analyses indicated satisfactory clinical utility.With a total nomogram score of 196,patients were accurately classified into low-risk and high-risk groups.Furthermore,we have deployed the model into online calculators that can be accessed for free at https://ctmodelforunresectablehcc.shinyapps.io/DynNomapp/.CONCLUSION The nomogram achieved optimal individualized prognostication of OS in HCC patients who received conversion therapy,which could be a useful clinical tool to help guide postoperative personalized interventions and prognosis judgement.展开更多
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma is an aggressive tumor,and its latency and lack of clinical symptoms mean that most patients are already in the late stage when diagnosed.Large tumor volume and metastasis are the m...BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma is an aggressive tumor,and its latency and lack of clinical symptoms mean that most patients are already in the late stage when diagnosed.Large tumor volume and metastasis are the main reasons for not attempting surgery.Portal vein embolization and associated liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy are commonly used in clinical practice to increase the volume of remnant liver to allow surgical resection;however,research in this area is currently lacking.CASE SUMMARY A 48-year-old male patient with a history of viral hepatitis B for at least 30 years attended our center with a hepatic space-occupying lesion detected 3 d previously.Enhanced computed tomography scanning of the upper abdomen revealed a large mass in the right lobe of the liver,centered on the right posterior lobe,with the larger section measuring about 14 cm×10 cm×14 cm.He successfully underwent conversion therapy for a large right liver tumor after combined hepatic artery ligation and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization,and finally had an opportunity to undergo right hemi-hepatectomy and cholecystectomy.He remained asymptomatic with no obvious abnormalities on computed tomography scanning review at 2 mo after surgery.CONCLUSION This case highlights new ideas and provides a reference for conversion therapy of large liver tumors.展开更多
BACKGROUND Locally advanced penile squamous cell carcinoma with unresectable inguinal lymph node metastasis has a poor prognosis,and surgical treatment alone offers limited benefits.Effective conversion therapy regime...BACKGROUND Locally advanced penile squamous cell carcinoma with unresectable inguinal lymph node metastasis has a poor prognosis,and surgical treatment alone offers limited benefits.Effective conversion therapy regimens are urgently needed.CASE SUMMARY We describe a locally advanced penile squamous cell carcinoma patient with bulky,fixed inguinal lymph node metastasis complicated with genital skin ulcers who underwent inguinal lymph node dissection and achieved a pathological complete response with conversion therapy comprising immunotherapy plus chemotherapy.CONCLUSION For unresectable locally advanced penile squamous cell carcinoma,neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy is a potential treatment approach.Biomarkers of immunotherapy efficacy need to be explored,and clinical trials are needed to test these strategies.展开更多
“Conversion therapy”is a treatment modality that involves the use of radiotherapy,chemotherapy,targeted therapy,immunotherapy,and other therapeutic methods to transform initially late-stage tumors that cannot be cur...“Conversion therapy”is a treatment modality that involves the use of radiotherapy,chemotherapy,targeted therapy,immunotherapy,and other therapeutic methods to transform initially late-stage tumors that cannot be cured into treatments that can achieve an R0 curative effect.However,selecting an appropriate conversion therapy scheme remains a challenge,and there are currently few relevant studies on this topic.This article reviews successful cases of conversion therapy and clinical studies on treatment schemes,at domestic and international levels,over the past few years to offer a broad range of treatment options for patients.展开更多
In recent years,significant advances have been achieved in the conversion therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).For patients with initially unresectable HCC(uHCC),combining systemic therapy with locoregional treatm...In recent years,significant advances have been achieved in the conversion therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).For patients with initially unresectable HCC(uHCC),combining systemic therapy with locoregional treatments as conversion therapy has shown a higher objective response rate(ORR).The promising result raises the question of whether surgical treatments are necessary after attaining radiologic complete response(rCR).展开更多
BACKGROUND The treatment of gastric cancer remains highly challenging,particularly in cases of unresectable locally advanced or metastatic disease.Although chemotherapy and immunotherapy have shown some efficacy in su...BACKGROUND The treatment of gastric cancer remains highly challenging,particularly in cases of unresectable locally advanced or metastatic disease.Although chemotherapy and immunotherapy have shown some efficacy in such patients,significant limitations persist in extending survival and enhancing safety.To address these challenges,we designed an innovative first-line quadruple conversion therapy regimen that integrates a programmed cell death protein 1(PD-1)inhibitor with chemotherapy,and we successfully implemented this therapy regimen in the treatment of a patient with unresectable locally advanced gastric adenocarcinoma.CASE SUMMARY We report the case of a 55-year-old male who was diagnosed with unresectable locally advanced gastric adenocarcinoma and presented with intermittent epigastric pain and multiple lymph node metastases in the abdominal cavity,with the metastasis being notably large in size.The tumor tissue was negative for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 by immunohistochemistry.Considering the patient's status,the multidisciplinary team decided to administer sintilimab in combination with albumin-bound paclitaxel(nab-paclitaxel),S-1,and oxaliplatin as a quadruple drug conversion therapy.After 4 cycles of conversion therapy,the patient's epigastric pain was significantly alleviated,his stool color normalized,the volume of the primary tumor and lymph node metastases was markedly reduced,and the tumor marker levels decreased to within the normal range.The patient subsequently underwent laparoscopic total gastrectomy with abdominal lymph node dissection,and postoperative pathological biopsy revealed a pathological complete response and R0 resection,after which the patient recovered to an excellent physical status.CONCLUSION To the best of our knowledge,this is the first reported case of unresectable locally advanced gastric adenocar-cinoma successfully treated with quadruple therapy with a PD-1 inhibitor and chemotherapy as a first-line conversion regimen.This first-line conversion therapy with the quadruple regimen may be effective and safe for unresectable locally advanced gastric adenocarcinoma.展开更多
Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors,for patients with advanced gastric cancer,the traditional treatment is mainly chemotherapy or combined targeted therapy;however,these have not achieved ideal e...Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors,for patients with advanced gastric cancer,the traditional treatment is mainly chemotherapy or combined targeted therapy;however,these have not achieved ideal efficacy.However,with the continuous deepening of research on molecular targeted drugs and immunosuppressants,the treatment of advanced gastric cancer patients has made new progress,and some new technologies have also been continuously emerged and applied,which brings hope for the treatment of advanced gastric cancer.Recently,several multicenter randomized controlled phase III studies on immunotherapy for advanced gastric cancer yielded encouraging results,demonstrating its superior efficacy in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer.However,prospective data to support the acceptance of surgery and the R0 removal rate following conversion therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors are lacking.In this study,a 58-year-old woman with advanced gastric cancer and positive PD-L1 expression,negative HER-2 expression,and microsatellite stable status received immunochemotherapy combined with traditional Chinese medicine to achieve R0 resection and satisfactory efficacy.展开更多
文摘1.Introduction Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the most common primary malignancy of the liver.HCC is the sixth most frequently diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-relatedmortality worldwide.[1]Partial hepatectomy is recommended for patients with early stage HCC.[2]A large proportion of patients with HCC inChina are diagnosed in the intermediate to advanced HCC stages,rendering them ineligible for hepatectomy due to aspects such as liver dysfunction,insufficient residual liver volume,or surgical technique.
基金Supported by the Anhui Provincial Department of Education,No.2022AH020077.
文摘BACKGROUND Salvage surgery following conversion therapy[transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE)combined with tyrosine kinase inhibitors(TKIs)and anti-programmed cell death protein 1(PD-1)antibodies]provides a chance for a cure in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma(uHCC).AIM To primarily analyze the efficacy and safety of salvage surgery in patients initially diagnosed with uHCC who underwent conversion therapy.METHODS We retrospectively collected data from patients at the First Affiliated Hospital of the University of Science and Technology of China(Anhui Provincial Hospital)who met the study criteria.These patients were initially diagnosed with uHCC and received TACE combined with TKIs and anti-PD-1 antibodies as conversion therapy.The main endpoints studied were the safety of salvage surgery,overall survival(OS),and recurrence-free survival(RFS)after surgery.Secondary endpoints included postoperative complications.We performed univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses to identify independent risk factors for postoperative RFS.RESULTS A total of 117 patients were enrolled in this study,including 28 patients(23.9%)who underwent curative surgery after triplet therapy conversion treatment.Among the 28 patients who underwent salvage surgery,the 1-year and 2-year RFS rates were 75.0%and 59.4%,respectively,and the 1-year and 2-year OS rates were 92.7%and 87.6%,respectively.The median follow-up time after surgery was 15.0 months(range:1.6-37.2 months),with median OS and RFS not yet reached.Pathological complete response was achieved in 14 cases(50.0%),and postoperative complications occurred in 20 patients(71.4%).Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses indicated that pathological complete response and preoperative albumin levels were risk factors for postoperative RFS.CONCLUSION Salvage surgery following conversion therapy with TACE combined with TKIs and anti-PD-1 antibodies appears to be an effective and safe treatment option for patients with uHCC.It extends OS and may offer additional potential benefits to uHCC patients.
基金The Fujian Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Medicine and The Yttrium Little Red Flower Health Fund Project of Henan Sunshine Medical and Health Development Foundation,No.HKP2024001.
文摘BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)has become a growing health concern globally.Microvascular invasion and high tumor burden are key factors limiting the curative effect of selective internal radiation therapy(SIRT).CASE SUMMARY This case study reports a 49-year-old woman who was diagnosed with China Liver Cancer Staging(CNLC)IIIa HCC and>15 cm tumor diameter.Initially,due to insufficient future liver remnant and vascular invasion,the tumor was unresectable;however,radical hepatectomy was performed after successful conversion therapy with SIRT using yttrium-90(90Y)resin microspheres followed by hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy(HAIC)with tyrosine kinase inhibitor(TKI)and anti-programmed death-1(PD-1)antibody.SIRT using 90Y resin microspheres was given by the right hepatic artery and chemoembolization was simultaneously performed in the tumor’s feeding vessels from the right diaphragmatic artery.HAIC was followed every three weeks with lenvatinib and tislelizumab.At 4 months post-SIRT,the tumor was downstaged to CNLC Ib and the patient successfully underwent hepatectomy.The histopathological examination of the resected specimen showed extensive necrosis.CONCLUSION This case study provides evidence for an integrated treatment strategy combining SIRT and HAIC with TKI and anti-PD-1 antibodies for patients with large HCC and microvascular invasion.Further confirmatory trials are required in the future.
文摘In the study by Wu et al,patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma were subjected to transarterial chemoembolization(TACE)as a conversion therapy in order to render their tumors suitable for resection.A nomogram was devised and shown to be effective in predicting the survival of these patients.Generalization of the results,however,is questionable since the study subjects consisted of patients who had resection after TACE while excluding patients with the same disease but not suitable for TACE.Immunotherapy can be considered to be an option for conversion therapy.However,markers for determining responses to a conversion therapy and for guiding the decision between TACE and sequential immunotherapy have been lacking.The question of whether effective conversion therapy can truly enhance overall survival remains unanswered.
基金Supported by Zhejiang Medical Science and Technology Project,No.2023KY704Zhejiang Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Project,No.2023ZR107 and No.2024ZF094+1 种基金Special Research Fund for Hospital Pharmacy of Zhejiang Pharmaceutical Association,No.2021ZYY08Zhejiang Medical Association Clinical Research Fund,No.2021ZYC-A64 and No.2021ZYC-A67.
文摘BACKGROUND Most patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)have lost the opportunity for direct surgery at the time of diagnosis.Transarterial chemoembolization(TACE)combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors or tyrosine kinase inhibitors(TKI)can partially transform some unresectable HCC and improve the prognosis ef-fectively.However,based on the promising prospects of combined targeted and immunotherapy for the effective treatment of HCC,the positive role of palliative surgery in the conversion treatment of advanced HCC urgently needs further in-tensive re-assessment.CASE SUMMARY In this study,we describe two successful cases of"conversion therapy for un-resectable HCC"achieved mainly by palliative surgery combined with TACE plus immunotherapy and TKIs.A 48-year-old patient with newly diagnosed HCC,presenting with a 6-cm mass in the segment VII/VIII of the right liver with mul-tiple intrahepatic metastases,could not undergo one-stage radical surgical resection.He underwent palliative surgery with radiofrequency of metastatic lesions and the palliative resection of the primary mass,and received subsequent TACE treatments twice in the early postoperative period(2 weeks and 6 weeks),in addition to targeted and immune combination therapy with sintilimab injection and oral lenvatinib.No evidence of recurrence was observed during the 11-month follow-up period after surgery.The other patient was a 47-year-old patient with massive HCC(18 cm×15 cm×4.5 cm)in the left liver with severe cirrhosis.The left portal branch was occluded and a tumor thrombus formed,and the tumor partly involved the middle hepatic vein.The patient underwent palliative surgery of left hemihepatectomy(including resection of the middle hepatic vein)for HCC,followed by three TACE procedures and oral TKIs 2 weeks after surgery.Six months later,the re-examination via computed tomography revealed no tumour activity in the remaining right liver,while magnetic resonance imaging revealed slight local tumor enhancement in the caudate lobe of the liver considered,TACE was performed once again,and during the next follow-up of 10 months did not reveal new intrahepatic lesions or distant metastases.CONCLUSION These cases demonstrate that the addition of palliative surgery to conversion therapy in a selected population with a high tumor burden could benefit patients with initially unresectable HCC.
文摘Recently,the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology published an article entitled“Pathologically successful conversion hepatectomy for advanced giant hepatocellular carcinoma after multidisciplinary therapy:A case report and review of the literature”,in which the authors shared their successful experience with complete surgical resection after multidisciplinary conversion therapy.The study by Chu et al demonstrates the great challenges that the advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)poses to surgical oncology,reveals the complexity of conversion therapy for unresectable HCC,emphasizes the important role of a multidisciplinary management model in conversion therapy,and enriches our understanding of the dynamics of personalized treatment for different patients.At present,conversion therapy is a hot research topic in the treatment of unresectable HCC,which has brought new hope to many patients with moderately advanced HCC.However,there are still many urgent problems to be solved in conversion therapy.Here,we would like to further discuss the advances and challenges of conversion therapy for unresectable HCC with the authors and the general readers.
文摘In this editorial,I comment on three articles published in the recent issue of the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology.Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is an important public health concern,and there are three articles on the theme of HCC in this issue.I focus on the articles by Mu et al,Chu et al,and Ma et al for this editorial.While these articles may be considered as low-quality evidence,and the results cannot be generalized to non-hepatitis-B or C virus patients,the discussion of the results is important.In addition,though all the articles are from China,the relevance of the results is not minuscule.As resection is the main form of curative treatment modality owing to a donor liver shortage,surgeons need to be aware that preoperative long-course antiviral therapy can improve clinical outcomes by reducing postoperative liver dysfunction and recurrence of HCC following resection.Similarly,patients with super-giant HCC(defined as≥15 cm diameter)should also be carefully considered for liver resection,and if it is unresectable upfront,then a combination of liver-directed therapy and systemic therapy may downstage HCC.If,following downstaging,the patient qualifies for liver resection based on locally prevalent resectability criteria,then such therapy is labelled as conversion(from unresectable to resectable)therapy.In unresectable patients treated by a combination of treatment options,serological markers like neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and alpha-fetoprotein are reported to predict treatment responses,thus enabling personalized medicine.
基金Supported by the Chongqing Natural Science Foundation Project,No.CSTB2022NSCQ-MSX0172.
文摘BACKGROUND Patient-derived organoids(PDOs)have been demonstrated to predict the response to drugs in multiple cancer types.However,it remains unclear about its application in cholangiocarcinoma.CASE SUMMARY A 59-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital due to upper abdominal pain for over 8 months.According to relevant examinations,she was diagnosed as perihilar cholangiocarcinoma(pCCA)with intrahepatic metastasis and perihilar lymphatic metastasis.After multidisciplinary team discussion,percutaneous transhepatic cholangiodrainage was performed to relieve biliary obstruction,and puncture biopsy was conducted to confirm the pathological diagnosis.Transarterial chemoembolization with nab-paclitaxel was used in combination with toripalimab and lenvatinib,but the levels of tumor markers including alpha fetal protein,carcinoembryonic antigen,carbohydrate antigen 15-3 and cancer antigen 125 were still raised.The PDO for drug screening showed sensitive to gemcitabine and cisplatin.Accordingly,the chemotherapy regimen was adjusted to gemcitabine and cisplatin in combination with toripalimab and lenvatinib.After 4 cycles of treatment,the tumor was assessed resectable,and radical surgical resection was performed successfully.One year after surgery,the patient was still alive,and no recurrence or occurred.CONCLUSION PDOs for drug sensitivity contribute to screening effective chemotherapy drugs for advanced pCCA,promoting conversion therapy and improving the prognosis.
基金Chongqing Natural Science Foundation Project,No.CSTB2022NSCQ-MSX0172and Incubation Project for Talented Young People,No.2022YQB031.
文摘BACKGROUND For primary liver cancer,the key to conversion therapy depends on the effectiveness of drug treatment.Patient-derived tumor organoids have been demonstrated to improve the efficacy of conversion therapy by identifying individualtargeted effective drugs,but their clinical effects in liver cancer remain unknown.CASE SUMMARY We described a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)who achieved pathologic complete response(pCR)to conversion therapy guided by the patientderived organoid(PDO)drug sensitivity testing.Despite insufficiency of the remaining liver volume after hepatectomy,the patient obtained tumor reduction after treatment with the PDO-sensitive drugs and successfully underwent radical surgical resection.Postoperatively,pCR was observed.CONCLUSION PDOs contributes to screening sensitive drugs for HCC patients to realize the personalized treatment and improve the conversion therapy efficacy.
基金funded by the Science and Technology Plan of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region(no.2022YFSH0097)the Medical Research Advancement Fund Project(no.TB212014).
文摘Background:The efficacy of combining immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)with chemotherapy in neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced gastric cancer has been explored.However,limited research exists on its effectiveness in conversion therapy,and its superiority over standalone chemotherapy remains to be elucidated.This study aims to investigate the efficacy and survival outcomes of patients treated with ICIs in combination with conversion therapy for locally advanced gastric cancer.Methods:Retrospective data from patients with locally advanced gastric cancer treated with either oxaliplatin+S-1(SOX)alone or in combination with ICIs in conversion therapywere collected.Clinical andpathological characteristics,disease-free survival,andefficacy assessments in nonoperable patients were compared between the 2 treatment groups.Efficacy was further evaluated through dynamic changes in serum markers,and patients’quality of life was assessed using the QLQ-STO22(Gastric Cancer–Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire)quality-of-life measurement scale.Results:A total of 140 patients underwent conversion therapy:80 in the SOX alone group and 60 in the SOX combined with the ICIs group.There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the 2 groups.Compared with the SOX alone group,the SOX combined with ICIs group exhibited a higher conversion rate(83.3%vs 75%,P=0.23),R0 resection rate(90.0%vs 83.3%,P=0.31),pathological complete response(pCR)rate(18%vs 5%,P=0.02),median disease-free survival(21.4 vs 16.9 months,P=0.007),the objective response rate in nonoperable patients(60%vs 40%,P=0.301),and median progression-free survival time(7.9 vs 5.7 months,P=0.009).The QLQ-STO22 quality-of-life assessment revealed statistically significant improvements in pain,swallowing difficulties,and dietary restrictions in the combination therapy group compared with those in the monotherapy group.The enhanced efficacy of immune combination with SOX is evident,as demonstrated by the significantly prolonged surgical duration in operated patients(206.6±26.6 min vs 197.8±19.8 min,P=0.35)and intraoperative blood loss(158.9±21.2 mL vs 148.9±25.1 mL,P=0.59).No significant differences were observed in postoperative complications.Conclusions:Compared with the SOX conversion therapy regimen,SOX combined with ICIs demonstrated higher conversion rates,R0 resection rates,pathological response rates,and disease-free survival without increasing surgical difficulty or complications.Nonoperable patients also experienced longer progression-free survival and objective response rates.
文摘The concept and strategy of advanced gastric cancer treatment have gradually undergone profound changes with the in-depth understanding of the biology and heterogeneous characteristics of gastric cancer.Moreover,the development and application of new anticancer drugs,including chemotherapy drugs,molecularly targeted drugs and immunotherapy drugs for advanced gastric cancer are reported.The connotation of conversion therapy refers to the unresectable or borderline resectable tumors for surgical technical and/or oncological reasons,after active and effective chemotherapy and other comprehensive treatment,the primary gastric lesions can be reduced to a lower stage,while the metastatic lesions can be effectively controlled,to achieve R0 resection and improve the long-term survival rate.Current promising research results of conversion therapy are mostly from single-arm phase II clinical studies with small samples or retrospective studies.Conversion therapy still faces many challenges,including limited diagnostic and assessment methods,insufficient evidence of highly effective treatment regimens,difficulty in clarifying surgical indications,etc.Therefore,the integrated conversion therapy for advanced gastric cancer needs to be carried out with the close cooperation of a multidisciplinary team.Prospective,multi-center randomized controlled trial studies should be conducted in the future,and precision medicine such as molecular biology should be combined to provide better anticancer drug regimens and higher-level clinical evidence for conversion therapy of advanced gastric cancer.
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U20A20360)the National Key R&D Program of China(2018YFC1312102)+1 种基金the Development and Reform Commission of Jilin Province(2014G074)the Jilin Provincial Department of Finance(JLSWSRCZX2021-016)。
文摘Background:Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the sixth most common cancer globally,with limited therapies and unsatisfactory prognosis once in the advanced stages.With promising advances in locoregional and systematic treatments,fast development of targeted drugs,the success of immunotherapy,as well as the emergence of the therapeutic alliance,conversion therapy has recently become more well developed and an effective therapeutic strategy.This article aimed to review recent developments in conversion therapy in liver transplantation(LT)for HCC.Data sources:We searched for relevant publications on Pub Med before September 2022,using the terms“HCC”,“liver transplantation”,“downstaging”,“bridging treatment”and“conversion therapy.”Results:Conversion therapy was frequently represented as a combination of multiple treatment modalities to downstage HCC and make patients eligible for LT.Although combining various local and systematic treatments in conversion therapy is still controversial,growing evidence has suggested that multimodal combined treatment strategies downstage HCC in a shorter time,which ultimately increases the opportunities for LT.Moreover,the recent breakthrough of immunotherapy and targeted therapy for HCC also benefit patients with advanced-stage tumors.Conclusions:In the era of targeted therapy and immunotherapy,applying the thinking of transplant oncology to benefit HCC patients receiving LT is a new topic that has shed light on advanced-stage patients.With the expansion of conversion therapy concepts,further investigation and research is required to realize the full potential of conversion treatment strategies,including accurately selecting candidates,determining the timing of surgery,improving the conversion rate,and guaranteeing the safety and long-term efficacy of treatment.
基金Supported by the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Grassland Talent Cultivation Program,No.CYYC2012040.
文摘BACKGROUND About 20%-30%of newly diagnosed hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)patients are surgically feasible due to a variety of reasons.Active conversion therapy may provide opportunities of surgery for these patients.Nevertheless,the choice of surgical procedure is controversial after successful conversion therapy.We report a patient with HCC who underwent successful laparoscopic right trisectionectomy after conversion therapy with portal vein embolization and transarterial chemoembolization.CASE SUMMARY A 67-year-old male patient presented to our hospital with epigastric distention/discomfort and nausea/vomiting for more than 1 mo.Contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan of the abdomen demonstrated multiple tumors(the largest was≥10 cm in diameter)located in the right liver and left medial lobe,and the left lateral lobe was normal.The future remnant liver(FRL)of the left lateral lobe accounted for only 18%of total liver volume after virtual resection on the three-dimensional liver model.Conversion therapy was adopted after orally administered entecavir for antiviral treatment.First,the right portal vein was embolized.Then tumor embolization was performed via the variant hepatic arteries.After 3 wk,the FRL of the left lateral lobe accounted for nearly 30%of the total liver volume.Totally laparoscopic right trisectionectomy was performed under combined epidural and general anesthesia.The in situ resection was performed via an anterior approach.The operating time was 240 min.No clamping was required during the surgery,and the intraoperative blood loss was 300 mL.There were no postoperative complications such as bile leakage,and the incision healed well.The patient was discharged on the 8th postoperative day.During the 3-mo follow-up,there was no recurrence and obvious hyperplasia of residual liver was observed.Alpha-fetoprotein decreased significantly and tended to be normal.CONCLUSION Due to the different biological characteristics of the liver cancer and the pathophysiological features of the liver from other organs,the conversion treatment should take into account both the feasibility of tumor downstaging and the volume and function of the remnant liver.Our case provides a reference for clinicians in terms of both conversion therapy and laparoscopic right trisectionectomy.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.82072035Science and Guangzhou Planned Project of Science and Technology,No.202102010028.
文摘BACKGROUND The efficacy of conversion therapy for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is a common clinical concern.AIM To analyse the prognostic factors of overall survival(OS)in patients with unresectable HCC who received conversion therapy.METHODS One hundred and fifty patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled and divided into a training cohort(n=120)and a validation cohort(n=30).Using the independent risk factors in the training cohort,a nomogram model was constructed to predict OS for patients treated with transarterial chemoembolization following hepatic resection.The nomogram was internally validated with the bootstrapping method.The predictive performance of nomogram was assessed by Harrell’s concordance index(C-index),calibration plot and timedependent receiver operating characteristic curves and compared with six other conventional HCC staging systems.RESULTS Multivariate Cox analysis identified that albumin,blood urea nitrogen,gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase to platelet ratio,platelet to lymphocyte ratio,macrovascular invasion and tumour number were the six independent prognostic factors correlated with OS in nomogram model.The C-index in the training cohort and validation cohort were 0.752 and 0.807 for predicting OS,which were higher than those of the six conventional HCC staging systems(0.563 to 0.715 for the training cohort and 0.458 to 0.571 for the validation cohort).The calibration plots showed good consistency between the nomogram prediction of OS and the actual observations of OS.Decision curve analyses indicated satisfactory clinical utility.With a total nomogram score of 196,patients were accurately classified into low-risk and high-risk groups.Furthermore,we have deployed the model into online calculators that can be accessed for free at https://ctmodelforunresectablehcc.shinyapps.io/DynNomapp/.CONCLUSION The nomogram achieved optimal individualized prognostication of OS in HCC patients who received conversion therapy,which could be a useful clinical tool to help guide postoperative personalized interventions and prognosis judgement.
文摘BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma is an aggressive tumor,and its latency and lack of clinical symptoms mean that most patients are already in the late stage when diagnosed.Large tumor volume and metastasis are the main reasons for not attempting surgery.Portal vein embolization and associated liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy are commonly used in clinical practice to increase the volume of remnant liver to allow surgical resection;however,research in this area is currently lacking.CASE SUMMARY A 48-year-old male patient with a history of viral hepatitis B for at least 30 years attended our center with a hepatic space-occupying lesion detected 3 d previously.Enhanced computed tomography scanning of the upper abdomen revealed a large mass in the right lobe of the liver,centered on the right posterior lobe,with the larger section measuring about 14 cm×10 cm×14 cm.He successfully underwent conversion therapy for a large right liver tumor after combined hepatic artery ligation and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization,and finally had an opportunity to undergo right hemi-hepatectomy and cholecystectomy.He remained asymptomatic with no obvious abnormalities on computed tomography scanning review at 2 mo after surgery.CONCLUSION This case highlights new ideas and provides a reference for conversion therapy of large liver tumors.
基金Supported by the Key Research and Development Program of Guang’an,China,No.2019ZYZF0121.
文摘BACKGROUND Locally advanced penile squamous cell carcinoma with unresectable inguinal lymph node metastasis has a poor prognosis,and surgical treatment alone offers limited benefits.Effective conversion therapy regimens are urgently needed.CASE SUMMARY We describe a locally advanced penile squamous cell carcinoma patient with bulky,fixed inguinal lymph node metastasis complicated with genital skin ulcers who underwent inguinal lymph node dissection and achieved a pathological complete response with conversion therapy comprising immunotherapy plus chemotherapy.CONCLUSION For unresectable locally advanced penile squamous cell carcinoma,neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy is a potential treatment approach.Biomarkers of immunotherapy efficacy need to be explored,and clinical trials are needed to test these strategies.
基金Funded by the Science and Technology Plan of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region(No.2022YFSH0097).
文摘“Conversion therapy”is a treatment modality that involves the use of radiotherapy,chemotherapy,targeted therapy,immunotherapy,and other therapeutic methods to transform initially late-stage tumors that cannot be cured into treatments that can achieve an R0 curative effect.However,selecting an appropriate conversion therapy scheme remains a challenge,and there are currently few relevant studies on this topic.This article reviews successful cases of conversion therapy and clinical studies on treatment schemes,at domestic and international levels,over the past few years to offer a broad range of treatment options for patients.
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.82470690 and 92159202)the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2023YFC2306800)+1 种基金the Major Research Plan of Key Research and Development Project of Zhejiang Province(Nos.2024C03149 and 2023C03046)Hainan Province Science and Technology Special Fund(No.ZDYF2025LCLH012).
文摘In recent years,significant advances have been achieved in the conversion therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).For patients with initially unresectable HCC(uHCC),combining systemic therapy with locoregional treatments as conversion therapy has shown a higher objective response rate(ORR).The promising result raises the question of whether surgical treatments are necessary after attaining radiologic complete response(rCR).
基金Supported by the Health Industry Research Program of Gansu Province,No.GSWSKY2021-043the Youth Science and Technology Foundation of Gansu Province,No.22JR11RA002the Natural Science Foundation of Gansu Province,No.22JR5RA008.
文摘BACKGROUND The treatment of gastric cancer remains highly challenging,particularly in cases of unresectable locally advanced or metastatic disease.Although chemotherapy and immunotherapy have shown some efficacy in such patients,significant limitations persist in extending survival and enhancing safety.To address these challenges,we designed an innovative first-line quadruple conversion therapy regimen that integrates a programmed cell death protein 1(PD-1)inhibitor with chemotherapy,and we successfully implemented this therapy regimen in the treatment of a patient with unresectable locally advanced gastric adenocarcinoma.CASE SUMMARY We report the case of a 55-year-old male who was diagnosed with unresectable locally advanced gastric adenocarcinoma and presented with intermittent epigastric pain and multiple lymph node metastases in the abdominal cavity,with the metastasis being notably large in size.The tumor tissue was negative for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 by immunohistochemistry.Considering the patient's status,the multidisciplinary team decided to administer sintilimab in combination with albumin-bound paclitaxel(nab-paclitaxel),S-1,and oxaliplatin as a quadruple drug conversion therapy.After 4 cycles of conversion therapy,the patient's epigastric pain was significantly alleviated,his stool color normalized,the volume of the primary tumor and lymph node metastases was markedly reduced,and the tumor marker levels decreased to within the normal range.The patient subsequently underwent laparoscopic total gastrectomy with abdominal lymph node dissection,and postoperative pathological biopsy revealed a pathological complete response and R0 resection,after which the patient recovered to an excellent physical status.CONCLUSION To the best of our knowledge,this is the first reported case of unresectable locally advanced gastric adenocar-cinoma successfully treated with quadruple therapy with a PD-1 inhibitor and chemotherapy as a first-line conversion regimen.This first-line conversion therapy with the quadruple regimen may be effective and safe for unresectable locally advanced gastric adenocarcinoma.
文摘Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors,for patients with advanced gastric cancer,the traditional treatment is mainly chemotherapy or combined targeted therapy;however,these have not achieved ideal efficacy.However,with the continuous deepening of research on molecular targeted drugs and immunosuppressants,the treatment of advanced gastric cancer patients has made new progress,and some new technologies have also been continuously emerged and applied,which brings hope for the treatment of advanced gastric cancer.Recently,several multicenter randomized controlled phase III studies on immunotherapy for advanced gastric cancer yielded encouraging results,demonstrating its superior efficacy in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer.However,prospective data to support the acceptance of surgery and the R0 removal rate following conversion therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors are lacking.In this study,a 58-year-old woman with advanced gastric cancer and positive PD-L1 expression,negative HER-2 expression,and microsatellite stable status received immunochemotherapy combined with traditional Chinese medicine to achieve R0 resection and satisfactory efficacy.
