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The indications of liver transplantation for hepatobiliary malignancies have been carefully expanded in a stepwise fashion, despite the fundamental limitations in oncological, immunological, and technical aspects. A new era of “Transplant Oncology,” the fusion of transplant surgery and surgical oncology, has begun, and we stand at the dawn of a paradigm shift in multidisciplinary cancer treatment. For hepatocellular carcinoma, new strategies have been undertaken to select recipients based on biological and dynamic markers instead of conventional morphological and static parameters, opening the doors for a more deliberate expansion of the Milan criteria and locoregional therapies before liver transplantation. Neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy followed by liver transplantation for unresectable perihilar cholangiocarcinoma developed by the Mayo Clinic provided excellent outcomes in a US multicenter study; however, the surgical indications are not necessarily universal and await international validation. Similarly, an aggressive multidisciplinary approach has been applied for other tumors, including intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, hepatoblastoma, liver metastases from colorectal and neuroendocrine primary and gastrointestinal stromal tumors as well as rare tumors, such as hepatic undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma and infantile choriocarcinoma. In conclusion, liver transplantation is an important option for hepatobiliary malignancies; however, prospective studies are urgently needed to ensure the appropriate patient selection, organ allocation and living donation policies, and administration of antineoplastic immunosuppression.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) has a poor prognosis, as the resectability rate is low due to its diagnosis at a late/advanced stage. Moreover, most patients with resected ICC eventually relapse. Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) has been indicated only by a few reports to be effective in patients with advanced ICC; thus, its efficacy for these patients remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of HAIC using gemcitabine, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil in patients with advanced ICC. A total of 18 patients who underwent HAIC were retrospectively investigated. The patients received gemcitabine, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil through one artery. In patients who received gemcitabine plus cisplatin ( n = 10), the response and disease control rates were 0% and 80.0%, respectively; the median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) after treatment initiation were 6.3 and 3.7 months, respectively. In patients who never received chemotherapy ( n = 8), the response and disease control rates were 37.5% and 75%, respectively; the median OS and PFS were 20.6 and 8.1 months, respectively. Moreover, we compared the patients who received HAIC using gemcitabine, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil to patients whose tumors were refractory to systemic gemcitabine and cisplatin therapy. The OS of the patients who received HAIC was better than that of the patients who received standard chemotherapy cohort since the gemcitabine plus cisplatin combination therapy-refractory response and disease onset ( P = 0.045, 0.006). HAIC using gemcitabine, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil may be effective as a therapeutic option for patients with advanced ICC.

Self‐expandable metallic and plastic stents have been used for biliary tract injuries, but they are not entirely adequate as treatments. This study investigated the potential of our novel self‐expandable bioabsorbable covered stent (SEBCS) to treat bile duct injuries. We developed a novel SEBCS by covering a self‐expandable bioabsorbable stent with a bioabsorbable tube. Five pigs underwent laparotomy after being placed under general anesthesia. A 5‐mm incision was made in the extrahepatic bile duct, followed by the insertion of an SEBCS. Postoperatively, hepatobiliary enzyme levels were measured. At 10 weeks postoperatively, a histological evaluation of the injured area and cholangiogram were performed. The SEBCS was successfully inserted into the extrahepatic bile ducts of all animals. The histological evaluation at 10 weeks postoperatively showed epithelial regeneration with numerous peribiliary glands, including at the injury site. Cholangiography revealed no stenosis in the injured area. Hematological and biochemical analyses revealed mild elevation of biliary enzyme levels on day 10 postoperatively compared with preoperative levels; these levels returned to preoperative values by week 10. This novel SEBCS technique demonstrated the potential to regenerate bile ducts at the site of extrahepatic bile duct injury and may be a promising endoscopic treatment for biliary tract injuries.

PurposeAn indwelling arterial access system via the brachial artery, System-i, has been previously reported. We have modified the technique for the femoral artery approach. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of the modified System-i for patients with malignant liver tumors.Materials and methodsThe modified System-i is an indwelling catheter that provides vascular access for inserting a microcatheter without repeated punctures to the femoral artery. Between 2018 and 2020, the system was implanted for 50 patients with malignant liver tumors. We used the system for patients with difficulty in inserting the conventional indwelling catheter system. To place the system, a side-holed catheter was implanted in the femoral artery, and the tip of the catheter was placed in the superficial femoral artery through the contralateral iliac artery. Using this system, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization or hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy was performed. A shaped high-flow microcatheter and a non-tapered microcatheter were used with the system. The technical aspects and outcomes of the system were also assessed.ResultsImplantation of the system was successful in all patients. The median implantation time was 40 min. The main reason for implantation was obstruction or stenosis of the hepatic artery. Among the 50 patients, 11 (22%) showed complications, of which four had major complications/class C based on the SIR criteria.ConclusionThe modified System-i is a safe system that can be a feasible repeated interventional radiological treatment via the femoral approach. We need to evaluate the efficacy of this system in the treatment of advanced cancers in the future.A second abstractThe modified System-i is a novel indwelling catheter system that allows vascular access to perform intermittent transarterial therapy, such as transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy via the femoral approach. In this study, we report the technical details and safety of the system.

PurposeIn laparoscopic surgery (LS) for colorectal cancer (CRC), the relationship between intraoperative end-tidal carbon dioxide concentration (EtCO2) and surgery-related complications remains unexplored. This study assessed the impact of intraoperative EtCO2 on postoperative complications in LS for CRC.MethodsIn total, 909 patients who underwent LS for CRC were enrolled. Hypocapnia and hypercapnia were defined as EtCO2 < 35 mmHg and > 40 mmHg, respectively, and the relationships between hypocapnia or hypercapnia duration and postoperative complications were analyzed.ResultsThe median (range) durations of hypocapnia and hypercapnia were 2.0 (0–8.3) h and 0.3 (0–5.8) h, respectively. Complications were observed in 208 cases (23.0%), which included 37 (4.1%) instances of anastomotic leakage and 86 (9.5%) of superficial surgical site infection (SSI). While the hypercapnia duration was not associated with the short-term outcomes, prolonged hypocapnia was significantly correlated with complications (p = 0.02), specifically superficial SSI (p = 0.005). Multivariate analyses adjusted for confounding factors confirmed that hypocapnia prolongation was an independent risk factor for postoperative superficial SSI [OR 1.19; 95% confidence interval (Cl) 1.03–1.36, p = 0.01].ConclusionIntraoperative hypocapnia may be a risk factor for postoperative complications, in particular superficial SSI, in LS for CRC.

We identified an effective chemotherapy regimen in patients refractory to standard chemotherapy. We included patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases who underwent hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy and systemic chemotherapy between January 2015 and December 2022. This study was a retrospective analysis conducted at a single center. The patients received either biweekly oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil through hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy as well as bevacizumab and leucovorin injected intravenously (HAIC-FOLFOX-B) or biweekly irinotecan and 5-fluorouracil by hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy and bevacizumab and leucovorin injected intravenously (HAIC-FOLFIRI-B). Of the 42 patients, 20 underwent HAIC-FOLFOX-B while 22 underwent HAIC-FOLFIRI-B treatment with response rates of 25% and 4.5%, respectively. The median overall survival and progression-free survival were 12.9 and 4.7 months and 17.4 and 7.7 months in patients undergoing HAIC-FOLFOX-B and HAIC-FOLFIRI-B, respectively. The overall incidence of grade 3/4 toxicity was 23.8%. However, no treatment-related deaths occurred. Functional catheter-associated problems occurred in 9.5% of the patients. Hepatic arterial occlusion occurred in three patients (7.1%); catheter-associated infection occurred in one (2.4%) patient. However, these occurrences were not life-threatening complications. HAIC-FOLFOX-B and HAIC-FOLFIRI-B might improve survival in patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases and in those who underwent both systemic oxaliplatin-based and irinotecan-based chemotherapies and were refractory to them. HAIC FOLFOX-B and FOLFIRI-B regimens might be effective therapeutic options in patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases refractory to standard systemic chemotherapy.

Although docetaxel-based triplet neoadjuvant chemotherapy has yielded promising results for locally advanced esophageal cancer, there are concerns that the triplet regimen can increase perioperative adverse events in older patients. This retrospective study assessed the perioperative outcomes following doublet or docetaxel-based triplet chemotherapy and esophagectomy in older patients. The data of patients aged 70-79 years who received cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (CF) or docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (DCF) before esophagectomy were extracted from a nationwide Japanese inpatient database (April 2012-March 2022). The primary outcomes were major and respiratory complications. The secondary outcomes included anastomotic leakage, 30-day unplanned readmission, and 30- and 90-day mortality. Analyses were conducted using overlap propensity score weighting, propensity score matching, and instrumental variable methods to adjust for potential confounders. Of 5229 eligible patients, 3457 (66%) and 1772 (34%) patients received neoadjuvant CF and DCF, respectively. Major and respiratory complications occurred in 5229 (40%) and 1388 (27%) patients, respectively. After overlap weighting, DCF was not associated with a higher frequency of major (odds ratio 0.99 [95% confidence interval 0.87-1.12]) and respiratory complications (odds ratio 1.04 [0.90-1.19]) compared with CF. The frequencies of anastomotic leakage, 30-day unplanned readmission, and 30- and 90-day mortality did not differ between the groups. Propensity score matching and instrumental variable analyses yielded similar results. Neoadjuvant DCF was not associated with a higher frequency of perioperative adverse events compared with CF after esophagectomy in patients aged 70-79 years.

BackgroundDiabetes is known to be associated with anastomotic leakage (AL) after esophagectomy. However, it is unknown whether well-controlled diabetes is also associated with AL.MethodsWe conducted a two-center retrospective cohort database study of patients who underwent oncological esophagectomy (2011–2019). Patients were divided into four groups: normoglycemia, pre-diabetes, well-controlled diabetes (hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c] < 7.0%), and poorly controlled diabetes (HbA1c ≥ 7.0%). The occurrence of AL and length of stay were compared between groups using multivariable analyses. The relationship between categorical HbA1c levels and AL was also investigated in patients stratified by diabetes medication before admission.ResultsAmong 1901 patients, 1114 (58.6%) had normoglycemia, 480 (25.2%) had pre-diabetes, 180 (9.5%) had well-controlled diabetes, and 127 (6.7%) had poorly controlled diabetes. AL occurred in 279 (14.7%) patients. Compared with normoglycemia, AL was significantly associated with both well-controlled diabetes (odds ratio 1.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22–2.74) and poorly controlled diabetes (odds ratio 1.95, 95% CI 1.23–3.09), but not with pre-diabetes. Preoperative HbA1c levels showed a J-shaped association with AL in patients without diabetes medication, but no association in patients with diabetes medication. Compared with normoglycemia, only poorly controlled diabetes was significantly associated with longer hospital stay after surgery, especially in patients with operative morbidity (unstandardized coefficient 14.9 days, 95% CI 5.6–24.1).ConclusionsDiabetes was associated with AL after esophagectomy even in well-controlled patients, but pre-diabetes was not associated with AL. Operative morbidity, including AL, in poorly controlled diabetes resulted in prolonged hospital stays compared with normoglycemia.

Aim Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy may improve survival in patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma. This Phase I study aimed to determine the recommended dose of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and decide whether to move to a Phase II study. Methods Patients diagnosed with resectable stage II–IVa cholangiocarcinoma were administered cisplatin (40 [level 0], 50 [level 1 as starting dose], or 60 [level 2] mg/m2), 80 mg/m2 of S‐1, and 50.4 Gy of external beam radiation. The recommended dose was defined as a dose one‐step lower than the maximum‐tolerated dose, which was defined when dose‐limiting toxicity was observed in three or more of the six patients. Results Twelve patients were eligible from November 2012 to May 2016. Ten patients had perihilar cholangiocarcinoma and two patients had distal cholangiocarcinoma. Dose‐limiting toxicity was observed in one of the first six patients at level 1 and two of the next six patients at level 2; thus, the maximum‐tolerated dose was not determined even at level 2 and the recommended dose was determined as level 2. Four patients had partial response, four patients had stable disease, and two patients had progression of disease because of liver metastases. Finally, nine patients underwent radical surgery and seven cases achieved R0 resection. However, five cases suffered biliary leakage and one suffered intrahospital death due to rupture of the hepatic artery. Conclusion We determined the recommended dose of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for resectable cholangiocarcinoma. However, we terminated the trial due to a high incidence of morbidity and unexpected mortality. A prospective Phase I study was conducted to explore the recommended dose of NACRT using S‐1 and cisplatin combined with concurrent radiation for the treatment of advanced resectable biliary tract cancer. We determined the recommended dose of NACRT. Although part of them had effective pathological responses, we finally terminated the trial due to a high incidence of morbidity and unexpected mortality.

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for biliary tract cancer (BTC) has gained traction with advancements in laparoscopic and robotic techniques. However, its oncological impact remains uncertain. This review highlights key studies from 2023 and 2024 on MIS for BTC, including distal bile duct, hilar bile duct, gallbladder, and intrahepatic bile duct cancer. Although feasibility and safety are supported in experienced centers, long‐term prognostic equivalence to open surgery remains debatable. Further studies are required to clarify surgical and oncological outcomes.