BACKGROUND: Patients with Barcelona clinic liver cancer (BCLC) stage B hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are considerably heterogeneous in terms of tumor burden, liver function, and performance status. To improve the poor survival outcomes of these patients, treatment approaches other than transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), which is recommended by HCC guidelines, have been adopted in real-world clinical practice. We hypothesize that this non-adherence to treatment guidelines, particularly with respect to the use of liver resection, improves survival in patients with stage B HCC.
OBJECTIVE: To assess guideline adherence in South Korean patients with stage B HCC and study its impact on survival.
METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted using data from 2008 to 2016 obtained from the Korea Central Cancer Registry. Patients with stage B HCC were categorized into three treatment groups, guideline-adherent, upward, and downward, based on HCC guidelines recommended by the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL), the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), and the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). The primary outcome was HCC-related deaths; tumor recurrence served as the secondary outcome. Survival among the groups was compared using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test. Predictors of survival outcomes were identified using multivariable Cox regression analysis.
RESULTS: In South Korea, over the study period from 2008 to 2016, a notable trend was observed in adherence to HCC guidelines. Adherence to the EASL guidelines started relatively high, ranging from 77% to 80% between 2008 and 2012, but it gradually declined to 58.8% to 71.6% from 2013 to 2016. Adherence to the AASLD guidelines began at 71.7% to 75.9% from 2008 to 2010, and then it fluctuated between 49.2% and 73.8% from 2011 to 2016. In contrast, adherence to the APASL guidelines remained consistently high, staying within the range of 90.14% to 94.5% throughout the entire study period. Upward treatment, for example with liver resection, liver transplantation, or radiofrequency ablation, significantly improved the survival of patients with BCLC stage B HCC compared to that of patients treated in adherence to the guidelines (for patients analyzed according to the 2000 EASL guidelines, the 5-year survival rates were 63.4% vs 27.2%, P < 0.001), although results varied depending on the guidelines. Progression-free survival rates were also significantly improved upon the use of upward treatments in certain groups. Patients receiving upward treatments were typically < 70 years old, had platelet counts > 105/μL, and serum albumin levels ≥ 3.5 g/dL.
CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to guidelines significantly influences survival in South Korean stage B HCC patients. Curative treatments outperform TACE, but liver resection should be selected with caution due to disease heterogeneity.

The updated German S3 guideline \"Diagnostics and therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma and biliary carcinomas\" covers two tumor entities. The original guideline published in 2013 focusing only on the diagnosis and therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been expanded to include intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. These guidelines were developed within the framework of the guideline program on oncology of the Scientific Medical Society e. V. (AWMF), the German Cancer Society (DKG) and German Cancer Aid Society (DKG) under the auspices of the German Society for Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (DGVS). In addition to updated recommendations regarding histopathology, radiological diagnostics and treatments, the main innovations of the revised guidelines on HCC include a complete revision of the section on the systemic therapeutic approach in advanced stages of the disease. This article presents the significance of the current recommendations for diagnostic and interventional radiology in comparison to other national and international guidelines and should serve to improve the quality of patient care through more widespread dissemination.
UNASSIGNED: Die aktualisierte deutsche S3-Leitlinie „Diagnostik und Therapie des hepatozellulären Karzinoms und biliärer Karzinome“ umfasst zwei Tumorentitäten. Bisher bestand nur eine Leitlinie zur Diagnostik und Therapie des hepatozellulären Karzinoms (HCC) aus dem Jahr 2013, wobei die Leitlinie zum Cholangiokarzinom (CC) jetzt zum ersten Mal bearbeitet wurde. Diese Leitlinien entstanden im Rahmen des Leitlinienprogramms Onkologie der Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften e. V. (AWMF), der Deutschen Krebsgesellschaft e. V. (DKG) und Deutschen Krebshilfe unter Federführung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Verdauungs- und Stoffwechselkrankheiten (DGVS). Die wesentlichen Neuerungen der überarbeiteten Leitlinien zum HCC umfassen neben aktualisierten Empfehlungen hinsichtlich Histopathologie, radiologischer Diagnostik und Therapien vor allem eine komplette Überarbeitung des Abschnitts zum systemtherapeutischen Vorgehen bei fortgeschrittenem Stadium der Erkrankung. Der vorliegende Artikel stellt die Bedeutung der aktuellen Empfehlungen für die diagnostische und interventionelle Radiologie im Vergleich zu anderen nationalen und internationalen Leitlinien dar und soll durch eine flächendeckendere Verbreitung der Qualitätssteigerung bei der Patientenversorgung dienen.

The time for battling cancer has never been more suitable than nowadays and fortunately against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) we do have a far-reaching arsenal. Moreover, because liver cancer comprises a plethora of stages-from very early to advanced disease and with many treatment options-from surgery to immunotherapy trials-it leaves the clinician a wide range of options. The scope of our review is to throw light on combination treatments that seem to be beyond guidelines and to highlight these using evidence-based analysis of the most frequently used combination therapies, discussing their advantages and flaws in comparison to the current standard of care. One particular combination therapy seems to be in the forefront: Transarterial chemoembolization plus ablation for medium-size non-resectable HCC (3-5 cm), which is currently at the frontier between Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer classification A and B. Not only does it improve the outcome in contrast to each individual therapy, but it also seems to have similar results to surgery. Also, the abundance of immune checkpoint inhibitors that have appeared lately in clinical trials are bringing promising results against HCC. Although the path of combination therapies in HCC is still filled with uncertainty and caveats, in the following years the hepatology and oncology fields could witness an HCC guideline revolution.

Resection is the foundation for cure for colorectal cancer (CRC) liver metastases; however, only 20% of patients are suitable for surgery. Those suitable would be considered for resection or local therapies before being considered for regional therapies. Noncurative treatment is usually systemic chemotherapy. For patients with liver-only or liver-predominant metastases that are unresectable, regional therapies [conventional transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE), drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE), and transarterial radioembolization (TARE)] may be considered. We review the current evidence for regional therapies for CRC liver metastases.
Literature searches (January 2000 to March 2019 or January 2010 to March 2019 depending on the specific systematic review question) were conducted, including Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, and 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) abstracts.
A total of 4100 articles were identified; 15 studies were included in the review. There were no comparative data regarding the resectable population. There was either insufficient evidence (cTACE or DEB-TACE) or evidence against (TARE) the addition of regional therapies to systemic therapy in the first line in the unresectable population. There was either no evidence (cTACE) or weak evidence (DEB-TACE or TARE) for the addition of regional therapies with or without systemic therapy in the second line or later in the unresectable population.
Limited evidence supports the delivery of percutaneous regional therapies in patients with unresectable CRC liver metastases. There are strong data demonstrating positive effects of TARE within the liver, but they do not translate to a benefit in patient-important outcomes. DEB-TACE appears to offer a survival benefit in the second-line setting, although the evidence is limited by small sample size and larger trials are needed.

The Asia-Pacific Primary Liver Cancer Expert (APPLE) Consensus Statement on the treatment strategy for patients with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was established on August 31, 2019, in Sapporo, Hokkaido during the 10th Annual APPLE Meeting. This manuscript summarizes the international consensus statements developed at APPLE 2019. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the only guideline-recommended global standard of care for intermediate-stage HCC. However, not all patients benefit from TACE because intermediate-stage HCC is a heterogeneous disease in terms of tumor burden and liver function. Ten important clinical questions regarding this stage of HCC were raised, and consensus statements were generated based on high-quality evidence. In intermediate-stage HCC, preservation of liver function is as important as achieving a high objective response (OR) because the treatment goal is to prolong overall survival. Superselective conventional TACE (cTACE) is recommended as the first choice of treatment in patients eligible for effective (curative) TACE, whereas in patients who are not eligible, systemic therapy is recommended as the first choice of treatment. TACE is not indicated as the first-line therapy in TACE-unsuitable patients. Another important statement is that TACE should not be continued in patients who develop TACE failure/refractoriness in order to preserve liver function. Targeted therapy is the recommended first-line treatment for TACE-unsuitable patients. Especially, the drug, which can have higher OR rate, is preferred. Immunotherapy, transarterial radioembolization, TACE + targeted therapy or other modalities may be considered alternative options in TACE-unsuitable patients who are not candidates for targeted therapy. Better liver function, such as albumin-bilirubin grade 1, is an important factor for maximizing the therapeutic effect of systemic therapy.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor originating from liver cells. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the main cause of HCC in 80% of Chinese patients. Pathologically, HCC is usually a kind of tumor with rich blood supply. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) can block the blood supply of the tumor, besides, high concentration of chemotherapeutic drugs can be accumulated within the tumor, and therefore TACE can kill tumor cells to the maximum extent. TACE has been recognized as one of the most commonly used non-surgical treatments for HCC. In view of this, after in-depth discussion the expertsfrom Chinese College of Interventionalists, Chinese Medical Doctor Association, put forward,《Chinese clinical practice guidelines for transarterial chemoembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma》. This《Guidelines》contains the following contents about TACE: brief introduction of HCC, indications and contraindications, perioperative treatment, euipment and drug preparation, ethical and informed consent, preparation of the patients, procedure,complications and management, evaluation and follow-up, and comprehensive therapy.
肝细胞癌（HCC）是起源于肝细胞的恶性肿瘤，中国HCC患者80%发生于乙型肝炎病毒感染。HCC通常是一种富血供肿瘤，经动脉化疗栓塞（TACE）治疗一方面阻断肿瘤血供，同时在肿瘤局部聚集高浓度的化疗药物，对肿瘤细胞发挥最大限度的杀伤作用，被公认为HCC非手术治疗最常用方法之一。为此，中国医师协会介入医师分会专家们经讨论提出了《中国肝细胞癌经动脉化疗栓塞治疗（TACE）临床实践指南》，内容包括概述、适应证与禁忌证、围手术期处理、设备器械与药物准备、伦理与知情同意、患者术前准备、围手术期治疗、手术操作、并发症与处理、疗效评价与随访、综合治疗。.

The annual Eastern Canadian Gastrointestinal Cancer Consensus Conference 2016 was held in Montreal, Quebec, 5-7 February. Experts in radiation oncology, medical oncology, surgical oncology, and infectious diseases involved in the management of patients with gastrointestinal malignancies participated in presentations and discussion sessions for the purpose of developing the recommendations presented here. This consensus statement addresses multiple topics: ■ Follow-up and survivorship of patients with resected colorectal cancer■ Indications for liver metastasectomy■ Treatment of oligometastases by stereotactic body radiation therapy■ Treatment of borderline resectable and unresectable pancreatic cancer■ Transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma■ Infectious complications of antineoplastic agents.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Multiple guidelines have been developed to assist clinicians in its management. We aimed to explore methodological quality of these guidelines focusing on treatment of intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma by transarterial chemoembolization.
METHODS: A systematic search was performed for Clinical Practice Guidelines and Consensus statements for hepatocellular carcinoma management. Guideline quality was appraised using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation II instrument, which rates guideline development processes across 6 domains: \'Scope and purpose\', \'Stakeholder involvement\', \'Rigour of development\', \'Clarity of presentation\', \'Applicability\' and \'Editorial independence\'. Thematic analysis of guidelines was performed to map differences in recommendations.
RESULTS: Quality of 21 included guidelines varied widely, but was overall poor with only one guideline passing the 50% mark on all domains. Key recommendations as (contra)indications and technical aspects were inconsistent between guidelines. Aspects on side effects and health economics were mainly neglected.
CONCLUSIONS: Methodological quality of guidelines on transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma management is poor. This results in important discrepancies between guideline recommendations, creating confusion in clinical practice. Incorporation of the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation II instrument in guideline development may improve quality of future guidelines by increasing focus on methodological aspects.