The prognostic value of vessels encapsulating tumor clusters (VETC) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Hepatobiliary Surgery
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Vessels encapsulating tumor clusters (VETC) are implicated as a prognostic factor in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
• Understanding VETC's role is crucial for predicting patient outcomes in HCC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically evaluate the prognostic significance of VETC in patients with HCC.
• To assess the association between VETC and overall survival (OS) and tumor efficacy (TE) in HCC.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was performed across major scientific databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus).
• A meta-analysis was conducted using data from 13 studies involving 4429 HCC patients.
• Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were utilized to quantify the prognostic impact of VETC.

Main Results:

• The meta-analysis revealed a significant association between VETC and both OS (HR 2.00; 95% CI 1.64-2.45) and TE (HR 1.70; 95% CI 1.44-1.99) in HCC.
• Recurrence-free survival (RFS) emerged as a stronger indicator of tumor efficacy (HR 1.73; 95% CI 1.44-2.07) compared to disease-free survival (DFS) (HR 1.69; 95% CI 1.22-2.35).
• VETC-positive HCC cases demonstrated a heightened risk of recurrence and diminished survival rates.

Conclusions:

• VETC is a significant predictor of overall survival and tumor efficacy in hepatocellular carcinoma.
• The findings support VETC as a potentially valid prognostic indicator for HCC patients.