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. 2023 May 11;5(8):100792. doi: 10.1016/j.jhepr.2023.100792

Table 1.

Clinical studies evaluating outcomes according to VETC pattern in patients with HCC.

Study Patient cohort (n) Treatment setting Prevalence (definition of VETC positivity) Outcome measures Prognostic value c.f. VETC-negative
Ding et al. 2011(19) Chinese (239)
88% CHB		 Curative-intent resection 45.2% (any VETC) OS
TTR		 Yes on MV analysis (HR 1.949)
Yes on MV analysis (HR 2.085)
He et al. 2017(27) Chinese (168)
89% CHB		 Surgical candidates without extrahepatic metastases 26.2% (any VETC)∗
  • -

    20.2% mixed

  • -

    6.0% 100% VETC-positive

 OS
RFS		 Yes on MV analysis (HR 1.674)
Yes on MV analysis (HR 1.625)
Fang et al. 2019(10) Chinese (457)
92% CHB		 Recurrence and/or metastases after initial resection 48.5% (any VETC)
  • -

    48.9% sorafenib

  • -

    48.3% control

 OS
PRS		 Yes on MV analysis (HR 1.495)
Yes on MV analysis (HR 1.409)
Renne et al. 2020(24) Italian (98)
Korean (316)
Japanese (127)
Total (541)
52% CHB, 35% HCV		 Curative-intent resection 39.0% (≥5% VETC)∗
18.9% (≥55% VETC)
  • -

    23.5% Italian

  • -

    21.5% Korean

  • -

    8.7% Japanese

 OS
DFS
Early recurrence (≤2 years)		 Yes on MV analysis (HR 2.26).
Yes on MV analysis (HR 1.66)
Yes on MV analysis (HR 1.52)
Kawasaki et al. 2021(38) Japanese (150)
71% HCV		 Living-donor liver transplant 22.0% (any VETC) OS
RFS		 Yes on UV analysis
Yes on UV analysis
Combination of VETC-positive and low CD3+ was independent predictor of OS on MV analysis (HR 2.760)
Lu et al. 2021(32) Chinese (498)
87% CHB		 Curative-intent resection 22.3% (≥55% VETC) OS
DFS		 Yes for VETC-positive/MVI-positive on MV analysis (HR 3.39 compared to VETC-negative/MVI-negative)
Yes for VETC-positive/MVI-positive on MV analysis (HR 3.53 compared to VETC-negative/MVI-negative)
Chen et al. 2021(28) Chinese (326)
87% CHB		 RFA or repeat resection for early-stage recurrence after initial curative-intent resection 55.5% (any VETC)
36.5% (≥55% VETC)		 OS
DFS		 Yes on MV analysis (HR 1.486)
Yes on MV analysis (HR 1.454)
Akiba et al. 2021(23) Japanese (985)
Aetiology not stated		 Resection (unspecified) 23.8% (≥5% VETC)
  • -

    20.9% (5-49% VETC)

  • -

    2.9% (≥50% VETC)

 OS
DFS		 Yes on UV analysis, not on MV analysis
Yes on UV analysis, not on MV analysis
Lin et al. 2021(31) Chinese (498)
87% CHB		 Curative-intent resection 22.2% (≥55% VETC) RFS Yes on MV analysis (HR 1.853)
Ridder et al. 2022(48) German (561)
Alcohol 31%, HCV 20%, CHB 19%		 Resection (unspecified) Not stated∗ OS Yes on MV analysis (HR 1.5)
Dennis et al. 2022(37) Australian (158)
55% HCV		 Deceased-donor liver transplant 76.5% (any VETC) RFS
TTR		 Yes for number of VETC-positive HCCs on explant on MV analysis (HR 1.267).
Yes for number of VETC-positive HCCs on explant on MV analysis (HR 1.411).
Yu et al. 2022(25) Chinese (182)
88% viral hepatitis		 Resection (unspecified) 56.3% (any VETC) Early recurrence (<2 years)-free survival
PFS		 Yes on UV analysis.
Yes on UV analysis
Huang et al. 2022(34) Chinese (174)
51% HCV, 49% CHB		 Curative-intent resection 30.5% (any VETC) DFS Yes on MV analysis (HR 2.066)
Feng et al. 2022(33) Chinese (170)
83% CHB		 Resection or liver transplant (unspecified) 30.6% (any VETC) Early recurrence (<2 years)-free survival Yes on MV analysis (HR 1.9)
Zhang et al. 2022(26) Japanese66
44% HCV, 29% CHB		 Resection (unspecified) 24.2% (≥50% VETC) OS
Metastasis
RFS		 Yes on UV analysis
Yes on UV analysis.
No on UV analysis
Wang et al. 2022(36) Chinese (262)
82% CHB		 Resection (unspecified) 44.2% (any VETC) OS
TTR		 Yes on UV analysis
Yes on UV analysis

CHB, chronic hepatitis B; DFS, disease-free survival; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; HCV, hepatitis C virus; HR, hazard ratio; K-M, Kaplan-Meier; MV, multivariable; MVI, microvascular invasion; OS, overall survival; PRS, post-recurrence survival; RFA, radiofrequency ablation; RFS, recurrence-free survival; TACE, transarterial chemoembolisation; TTR, time-to-recurrence; UV, univariable; VETC, vessels that encapsulate tumour clusters.

∗

Studies using tissue microarrays.