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Updated: Jul 24, 2025

Isolated Hepatic Perfusion as a Treatment for Liver Metastases of Uveal Melanoma
Published on: January 25, 2015
Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma with macroscopic vascular invasion: A systematic review and network
Francisco Tustumi1, Fabricio Ferreira Coelho1, Daniel de Paiva Magalhães1
1Divisão de Cirurgia do Aparelho Digestivo, Departamento de Gastroenterologia, Hospital das Clinicas (HCFMUSP), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Background:
This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of different treatments for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and macroscopic vascular invasion.
Methods:
A systematic review and meta-analysis of comparative studies was performed to evaluate various treatment modalities for HCC with macroscopic vascular invasion, including liver resection (LR), liver transplantation (LT), transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), transarterial radioembolization (TARE), radiotherapy (RT), radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and antineoplastic systemic therapy (AnST).
Results:
After applying the selection criteria, 31 studies were included. The surgical resection (SR) group (including LR and LT) had a similar mortality rate to the non-surgical resection (NS) group (RD = -0.01; 95% CI -0.05 to 0.03). The SR group had a higher rate of complications (RD = 0.06; 95% CI 0.00 to 0.12) but a higher 3-year overall survival (OS) rate than the NS group (RD = 0.12; 95% CI 0.05 to 0.20). The network analysis revealed that the overall survival was lower in the AnST group. LT and LR had similar survival benefits. The meta-regression suggested that SR has a greater impact on the survival of patients with impaired liver function.
Discussion:
Most likely, LT has a significant impact on long-term survival and consequently would be a better option for HCC with macroscopic vascular invasion in patients with impaired liver function. LT and LR offer a higher chance of long-term survival than NS alternatives, although LR and LR are associated with a higher risk of procedure-related complications.

