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| Liver stiffness as a predictor of hepatocellular carcinoma behavior in patients with hepatitis C related liver cirrhosis |
| Sameh A Lashen a , ∗, Mohamed M Elshafei b , Fahmy H Hablass a , Eman A Alsayed a , Asmaa A Hassan c |
a Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt
b Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt
c Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Statistics, Medical Research Institute, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt
Notes: The work has been published as an abstract in the United European Gastroenterology Journal after being presented as a poster presentation in the UEG conference, October 2018.
∗ Corresponding author.
E-mail address: sameh.lashen@alexmed.edu.eg (S.A. Lashen). |
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Abstract Background: Risk stratification and prognostication of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) help to improve patient outcome. Herein we investigated the role of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) in the prediction of HCC behavior.
Methods: Totally 121 naïve patients with HCC were included. HCC radiological evaluation and staging were done. LSM was measured using virtual touch quantification. Patients were divided into early to intermediate HCC (BCLC-0, A and B) and late HCC (BCLCC and D). HCC was treated according to the BCLC stage. HCC recurrence-free interval was estimated.
Results: The mean LSM inside the tumor was significantly lower than the peri-tumoral area and the cirrhotic non-cancerous liver parts ( P < 0.001). In late HCCs stage, the mean LSM inside the tumor and in the peri-tumoral tissue was lower than the corresponding values in the early to intermediate HCCs stage ( P < 0.001). LSM inside the tumor and in the peri-tumoral tissue negatively correlated with serum AFP, tumor vascular invasion, and stage ( P < 0.05). The recurrence-free interval was directly correlated to LSM inside the tumor and inversely to LSM in cirrhotic non tumorous liver part. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the recurrence-free interval was significantly longer in patients with LSM inside the tumor of ≥1.25 m/s compared to those with LSM inside the tumor of < 1.25 m/s.
Conclusions: LSM can serve as a potential non-invasive predictor for HCC clinical behavior and the recurrence-free interval following loco-regional treatments.
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2020, Vol. 19 
