Prognostic value of (18)F-FDG PET/CT in liver transplantation for hepatocarcinoma.

AIM: To evaluate the prognostic value of pretreatment FDG positron emission tomography computed tomography (PET-CT) in patients with hepatocarcinoma treated by liver transplantation (LT). METHODS: The authors retrospectively analyzed the data of 27 patients (mean age 58 +/- 9 years) who underwent FDG PET-CT before LT for hepatocarcinoma. Mean follow-up was 26 +/- 18 mo. The FDG PET/CT was performed according to a standard clinical protocol: 4 MBqFDG/kg body weight, uptake 60 min, low-dose non-enhanced CT. The authors measured the SUVmax and SUVmean of the tumor and the normal liver. The tumor/liver activity ratios (RSUVmax and RSUVmean) were tested as prognostic factors and compared to the following conventional prognostic factors: MILAN, CLIP, OKUDA, TNM stage, alphafoetoprotein level, portal thrombosis, size of the largest nodule, tumor differentiation, microvascular invasion, underlying cirrhosis and liver function. RESULTS: Overall and recurrence free survivals were 80.7% and 67.4% at 3 years, and 70.6% and 67.4% at 5 years, respectively. According to a multivariate Cox model, only FDG PET/CT RSUVmax predicted recurrence free survival. Even though the MILAN criteria alone were not predictive, it is worth noting that none of the patients outside the MILAN criteria and with RSUVmax < 1.15 relapsed. CONCLUSION: FDG PET/CT with an RSUVmax cut-off value of 1.15 is a strong prognostic factor for recurrence and death in patients with HCC treated by LT in this retrospective series. Further prospective studies should test whether this metabolic index should be systematically included in the preoperative assessment

Prognostic value of FDG PET/CT in liver transplantation for hepatocarcinoma

AIM : FDG uptake has been shown to predict the outcome in large series of patients with hepatocarcinoma (HCC) in Asia, but few data are available regarding European populations. Our aim was to evaluate the prognostic value of pretreatment FDG PET-CT in patients treated by liver transplantation. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 27 patients (24 M and 3 W, mean age 58 ± 9 years). The mean follow-up was 26 ± 18 months (min 1 month, max 66 months). All patients had an FDG PET-CT before the transplantation. The FDG PET/CT was performed according to a standard clinical protocol: 4 MBqFDG/kg body weight, uptake 60 min., low-dose non-enhanced CT. We measured the SUVmax and SUVmean of the tumor and the normal liver. The tumor/liver activity ratios (RSUVmax and RSUVmean) were tested as prognostic factors and compared to the following conventional prognostic factors: MILAN, CLIP, OKUDA, TNM stage, alphafoetoprotein level, portal thrombosis, size of the largest nodule, tumor differentiation, microvascular invasion, underlying cirrhosis and liver function. Results : The DFS was 87.2% at 1y and 72.1% at 3y. The OS was 85.2% at 1y and 80.7% at 3y. According to an univariate Cox model, RSUVmax, RSUVmean and healthy liver were predictors of DFS and RSUVmax, RSUVmean, size of the largest nodule, CLIP, liver involvement>50%, and healthy liver predicted the OS. According to a multivariate Cox model, only RSUVmax predicted DFS and RSUVmax and liver involvement>50% predicted OS. An ROC analysis of the ratios showed that the 1.15 cut-off for RSUVmax was best for predicting both the DFS (Cox regression:HR 14.4, p=0.02) and OS (HR 5.6, p=0.049). The Kaplan-Meier curves and Logrank tests confirmed those results. Even though the MILAN criteria alone were not predictive, it is worth noting that none of the patients outside the MILAN criteria and with RSUVmax<1.15 relapsed. Conclusions: The RSUVmax is a strong prognostic factor for recurrence and death in patients with HCC treated by liver transplantation with a cut-off value of 1,15. further prospective studies should test whether the metabolic index should be systematically included in the preoperative assessment

Hepatitis C virus in sub-Saharan Africa: a long road to elimination

The development of direct-acting antivirals against hepatitis C virus (HCV) has transformed the treatment landscape and underpinned the WHO goal of HCV elimination by 2030. However, as of 2021, few countries remain on track to achieve this goal. Reliable data remain scarce, especially those on national plans for HCV elimination in many regions of the world and particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for around 11 million of 71 million people estimated to be living with HCV