Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) often presents with multiple nodules within the liver, with limited effective intervention. The high tumor heterogeneity of multifocal HCC might be the major cause of treatment failure. Studies using next-generation sequencing identify genomic and transcriptional heterogeneity among tumor nodules in multifocal HCC patients including mutational profiles, copy number alterations (CNAs), structure variations (SVs), tumor evolutionary trajectory, RNA expression patterns, and tumor immune microenvironment profiles. In addition, recent data indicate that the heterogeneity of druggable targets and immune landscape might help interpret the clinical responsiveness to targeted drugs and immunotherapy for multifocal HCC patients. Thus, a comprehensive and precise understanding of genomic and transcriptional heterogeneity is crucial to improve the treatment of patients with multifocal HCC and is particularly helpful to the development of personalized therapies. This Chapter reviews previous studies of genomic and transcriptional heterogeneity of multifocal HCC and discusses how we can leverage this information to improve the clinical management of patients with multifocal HCC.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
International Agency For Research On Cancer WHO. Cancer today. https://gco.iarc.fr/today/home
Kudo M, Izumi N, Ichida T, Ku Y, Kokudo N, et al. Report of the 19th follow-up survey of primary liver cancer in Japan. Hepatol Res. 2016;46:372–90.
Dong LQ, Peng LH, Ma LJ, Liu DB, Zhang S, et al. Heterogeneous immunogenomic features and distinct escape mechanisms in multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma. J Hepatol. 2020;72:896–908.
Xie DY, Fan HK, Ren ZG, Fan J, Gao Q. Identifying clonal origin of multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma and its clinical implications. Clin Transl Gastroenterol. 2019;10:e6.
Kudo M, Finn RS, Qin S, Han KH, Ikeda K, et al. Lenvatinib versus sorafenib in first-line treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a randomised phase 3 non-inferiority trial. Lancet. 2018;391:1163–73.
Llovet JM, Ricci S, Mazzaferro V, Hilgard P, Gane E, et al. Sorafenib in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. N Engl J Med. 2008;359:378–90.
Crocenzi TS, El-Khoueiry AB, Yau TC, Melero I, Sangro B, et al. Nivolumab (nivo) in sorafenib (sor)-naive and -experienced pts with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): CheckMate 040 study. J Clin Oncol. 2017;15:4013.
El-Khoueiry AB, Sangro B, Yau T, Crocenzi TS, Kudo M, et al. Nivolumab in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (CheckMate 040): an open-label, non-comparative, phase 1/2 dose escalation and expansion trial. Lancet. 2017;389:2492–502.
Zhu AX, Finn RS, Edeline J, Cattan S, Ogasawara S, et al. Pembrolizumab in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma previously treated with sorafenib (KEYNOTE-224): a non-randomised, open-label phase 2 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2018;19:940–52.
Finn RS, Qin S, Ikeda M, Galle PR, Ducreux M, et al. Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. N Engl J Med. 2020;382:1894–905.
Marusyk A, Polyak K. Tumor heterogeneity: causes and consequences. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2010;1805:105–17.
Lin DC, Mayakonda A, Dinh HQ, Huang P, Lin L, et al. Genomic and epigenomic heterogeneity of hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Res. 2017;77:2255–65.
Huang A, Zhao X, Yang XR, Li FQ, Zhou XL, et al. Circumventing intratumoral heterogeneity to identify potential therapeutic targets in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Hepatol. 2017;67:293–301.
Torrecilla S, Sia D, Harrington AN, Zhang Z, Cabellos L, et al. Trunk mutational events present minimal intra- and inter-tumoral heterogeneity in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Hepatol. 2017;67:1222–31.
Gao Q, Wang ZC, Duan M, Lin YH, Zhou XY, et al. Cell culture system for analysis of genetic heterogeneity within hepatocellular carcinomas and response to pharmacologic agents. Gastroenterology. 2017;152:232–42.
Furuta M, Ueno M, Fujimoto A, Hayami S, Yasukawa S, et al. Whole genome sequencing discriminates hepatocellular carcinoma with intrahepatic metastasis from multi-centric tumors. J Hepatol. 2017;66:363–73.
Zhai W, Lim TK, Zhang T, Phang ST, Tiang Z, et al. The spatial organization of intra-tumour heterogeneity and evolutionary trajectories of metastases in hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Commun. 2017;8:4565.
Xu LX, He MH, Dai ZH, Yu J, Wang JG, et al. Genomic and transcriptional heterogeneity of multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma. Ann Oncol. 2019;30:990–7.
Huang ML, He MH, Guo Y, Li HP, Shen SL et al. The influence of immune heterogeneity on the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors in multifocal hepatocellular carcinomas. Clin Cancer Res. 2020.
Sia D, Jiao Y, Martinez-Quetglas I, Kuchuk O, Villacorta-Martin C, et al. Identification of an immune-specific class of hepatocellular carcinoma. Based Mol Features Gastroenterol. 2017;153:812–26.
Zhang Q, Lou Y, Yang J, Wang J, Feng J, et al. Integrated multiomic analysis reveals comprehensive tumour heterogeneity and novel immunophenotypic classification in hepatocellular carcinomas. Gut. 2019;68:2019–31.
Xue R, Li R, Guo H, Guo L, Su Z, et al. Variable intra-tumor genomic heterogeneity of multiple lesions in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Gastroenterology. 2016;150:998–1008.
Duan M, Hao J, Cui S, Worthley DL, Zhang S, et al. Diverse modes of clonal evolution in HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma revealed by single-cell genome sequencing. Cell Res. 2018;28:359–73.
Chen XP, Long X, Jia WL, Wu HJ, Zhao J, et al. Viral integration drives multifocal HCC during the occult HBV infection. J Exp Clin Cancer Res. 2019;38:261.
Miao R, Luo H, Zhou H, Li G, Bu D, et al. Identification of prognostic biomarkers in hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma and stratification by integrative multi-omics analysis. J Hepatol. 2014;61:840–9.
Comprehensive and Integrative Genomic Characterization of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cell. 2017;169:1327–41.
Feo F, Pascale RM. Multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma: intrahepatic metastasis or multicentric carcinogenesis? Ann Transl Med. 2015;3:4.
Yin L, Li H, Li AJ, Lau WY, Pan ZY, et al. Partial hepatectomy vs. transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for resectable multiple hepatocellular carcinoma beyond Milan Criteria: a RCT. J Hepatol. 2014;61:82–8.
Zhao WC, Yang N, Zhu N, Zhang HB, Fu Y, et al. Patients with multiple hepatocellular carcinomas within the UCSF criteria have outcomes after curative resection similar to patients within the BCLC early-stage criteria. World J Surg. 2012;36:1811–23.
Torzilli G, Belghiti J, Kokudo N, Takayama T, Capussotti L, et al. A snapshot of the effective indications and results of surgery for hepatocellular carcinoma in tertiary referral centers: is it adherent to the EASL/AASLD recommendations?: an observational study of the HCC East-West study group. Ann Surg. 2013;257:929–37.
Ohkubo T, Midorikawa Y, Nakayama H, Moriguchi M, Aramaki O, et al. Liver resection of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with portal hypertension and multiple tumors. Hepatol Res. 2018;48:433–41.
Wada H, Eguchi H, Noda T, Ogawa H, Yamada D, et al. Selection criteria for hepatic resection in intermediate-stage (BCLC stage B) multiple hepatocellular carcinoma. Surgery. 2016;160:1227–35.
Liu W, Wang K, Bao Q, Sun Y, Xing BC. Hepatic resection provided long-term survival for patients with intermediate and advanced-stage resectable hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Surg Oncol. 2016;14:62.
Ho MC, Huang GT, Tsang YM, Lee PH, Chen DS, et al. Liver resection improves the survival of patients with multiple hepatocellular carcinomas. Ann Surg Oncol. 2009;16:848–55.
Makuuchi M, Hasegawa H, Yamazaki S. Ultrasonically guided subsegmentectomy. Surg Gynecol Obstet. 1985;161:346–50.
Makuuchi M. Surgical treatment for HCC – special reference to anatomical resection. Int J Surg. 2013;11(Suppl 1):S47–9.
Makuuchi M, Sano K. The surgical approach to HCC: our progress and results in Japan. Liver Transpl. 2004;10:S46–52.
Ishizawa T, Hasegawa K, Aoki T, Takahashi M, Inoue Y, et al. Neither multiple tumors nor portal hypertension are surgical contraindications for hepatocellular carcinoma. Gastroenterology. 2008;134:1908–16.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Kuang, M., Xu, L., Peng, S., Huang, M., Liu, X., Liao, G. (2022). Multifocal Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Genomic and Transcriptional Heterogeneity. In: Makuuchi, M., et al. The IASGO Textbook of Multi-Disciplinary Management of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0063-1_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0063-1_9
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-19-0062-4
Online ISBN: 978-981-19-0063-1
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)