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Histopathological components correlated with MRI features and prognosis in combined hepatocellular carcinoma-cholangiocarcinoma

  • Hepatobiliary-Pancreas
  • Published:
European Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives

To distinguish MR features according to different proportions of the histopathological hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) component and to investigate whether the proportion of the HCC component can predict the prognosis of patients with cHCC-CCA.

Methods

The study enrolled 106 cHCC-CCA patients confirmed by histopathology. The MR imaging features and clinicopathological findings were retrospectively evaluated and compared between two subgroups with different proportions of the HCC component. The recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated using Kaplan–Meier survival curves and compared using the log-rank test. Moreover, whether the proportion of the HCC component was a predictor of RFS and OS was investigated using Cox regression analyses.

Results

The Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) category 4/5 was more prevalent in cHCC-CCAs with an HCC component > 50% (odds ratio (OR) = 5.559, p = 0.018), 70% (OR = 4.031, p = 0.008), and 90% (OR = 6.282, p = 0.012) than in those with an HCC component ≤ 50%, 70%, and 90%, respectively. In addition, cHCC-CCAs with an HCC component > 70% (HR: 0.241, p = 0.023) had a better OS prognosis than those with an HCC component ≤ 70%.

Conclusions

cHCC-CCAs categorized as LR-4/5 are mainly composed of HCC component, and cHCC-CCAs with an HCC component > 70% are associated with better OS than those with an HCC component ≤ 70%. These findings suggest that the proportion of HCC or CCA component can predict the prognosis of cHCC-CCA patients.

Key Points

• cHCC-CCAs categorized as LR-4/5 are mainly composed of HCC component.

• cHCC-CCAs with an HCC component > 70% are associated with better OS than those with an HCC component ≤ 70%.

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Abbreviations

AFP:

Alpha fetoprotein

APHE:

Arterial phase hyperenhancement

CA19-9:

Carbohydrate antigen 19-9

cHCC-CCA:

Combined hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma

HBV :

Hepatitis B virus

HCC :

Hepatocellular carcinoma

iCCA :

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

LR :

LI-RADS = Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System

MVI :

Microvascular invasion

OS :

Overall survival

RFS :

Recurrence-free survival

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Funding

This study was supported by Clinical Research Plan of SHDC (grant number SHDC2020CR1029B), National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 82171897), Shanghai Municipal Key Clinical Specialty (grant number shslczdzk03202), and Clinical Research Project of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University (grant number 2020ZSLC61).

Author information

Author notes

  1. Changwu Zhou and Xin Lu contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai, China

    Changwu Zhou & Mengsu Zeng

  2. Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 180 Fenglin Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China

    Changwu Zhou, Xin Lu, Yi Wang, Xianling Qian, Chun Yang & Mengsu Zeng

  3. Department of Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

    Changwu Zhou, Xin Lu, Yi Wang, Xianling Qian, Chun Yang & Mengsu Zeng

Authors
  1. Changwu Zhou
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  2. Xin Lu
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  3. Yi Wang
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  4. Xianling Qian
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  5. Chun Yang
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Chun Yang or Mengsu Zeng.

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Guarantor

The scientific guarantor of this publication is Mengsu Zeng.

Conflict of interest

The authors of this manuscript declare no relationships with any companies whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the article.

Statistics and biometry

Two of the authors (Changwu Zhou and Xin Lu) have significant statistical expertise.

Informed consent

Written informed consent was obtained from all patients in this study.

Ethical approval

Institutional Review Board approval was obtained.

Study subjects or cohorts overlap

Some study subjects or cohorts have been previously reported in a prior study entitled “MRI features predict the prognosis of combined hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma after curative resection” on the publication of European Radiology.

Methodology

• retrospective

• observational

• performed at one institution

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Zhou, C., Lu, X., Wang, Y. et al. Histopathological components correlated with MRI features and prognosis in combined hepatocellular carcinoma-cholangiocarcinoma. Eur Radiol 32, 6702–6711 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-022-09065-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-022-09065-y

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