21 Importantly, marked bile ductular reaction (Fig 8) with atypi

21 Importantly, marked bile ductular reaction (Fig. 8) with atypia adjacent to HCC due to mass effect is not an uncommon finding and one should be cautious not ABT-737 mw to overinterpret these atypical ductules as the CC component of the combined HCC-CC. Unfortunately, immunohistochemistry is of little value in distinguishing malignant biliary epithelium from reacting ductules. In general, ductular reaction is often accompanied by inflammatory cell infiltrate, whereas the cholangiocarcinoma component is typically surrounded by a desmoplastic stroma

that lacks inflammatory cells. Despite intensive preoperative imaging studies, many combined HCC-CC may be misdiagnosed either as HCC or CC before surgery. Tissue sampling is always an issue and may preclude an accurate diagnosis in a core needle biopsy specimen. Accurate preoperative diagnosis Carfilzomib is important because the decision on

the most appropriate treatment may depend on the predominant component of the tumor (HCC or CC); however most patients with combined HCC-CC are seldom diagnosed before surgery. This may largely be attributed to the specimen sampled and unless the interface area is biopsied, a confident diagnosis of combined HCC-CC may not be reached. Detection and treatment option may be optimized with advanced imaging studies, high index of suspicion, serum tumor markers (alpha-fetoprotein,

carbohydrate selleck inhibitor antigen 19-9), and histopathology with appropriate use of immunohistochemistry.36 Recent studies reported that the survival rate of patients with combined HCC-CC after liver resection was poorer than that of patients with HCC or CC37 and pathologically combined HCC-CC showed more significantly vascular invasion and lymph node metastasis than HCC, with a similarity to CC.22 These results are similar to those that were previously reported,38,39 suggesting that a more aggressive treatment modality, such as postoperative adjuvant therapy and multimodality treatment for recurrent disease, may have to be explored to improve the survival rate of these patients. There are very few outcome data on liver transplantation and the role of liver transplantation in combined HCC-CC needs to be defined.40 This is largely hindered by the lack of accurate preoperative diagnosis of combined HCC-CC. Further studies are also warranted to seek optimal therapeutic options in treating combined HCC-CC.41 In addition, in the recently published American Joint Committee on Cancer manual,42 combined HCC-CC is included in the section on Carcinoma of the Intrahepatic Bile Ducts.

Comments are closed.