The purposes of this prospective study were to evaluate the successful rate of primary culture of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts from the residual specimens in routine fine-needle aspiration of hepatic tumor and the potential application of this method as an additional tool for personalized treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma patients.
Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology or biopsy of hepatic tumor is frequently applied in the collection of specimens because it is considered safe, efficacious, accurate and cost effective. Our previous study from small number of patients showed that specimens obtained from FNA had potential to be applied for primary culture of cancer cells. This study was to modified our method for primary culture of both hepatocellular carcinoma cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts in patients with tumor measuring larger than or equal to 3cm. All patients received one session of aspiration for the diagnosis of hepatic tumor. The aspirated specimens were applied for both cytologic and pathologic examinations at first. After then, 10 mL 0.9% NaCl was aspirated by the same needle connected with the same syringe and injected into 15 mL sterilized centrifugation tube. If the tube contained visible specimens, these specimens were sent for primary culture.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
105
Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital
Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
Correlation Between the Growth Speeds of the Cultured Cells and the AJCC TNM Stage (7th Eds) at Entering of the Study.
Patients were divided into AJCC TNM staging \< = IIIA and \> = IIIB two groups. The incidences of patients with rapidly proliferative cultured cells in these two groups were compared. Rapidly proliferative group was defined as (1) growth area of cultured cells at the 28th day of primary culture exceeded two times of the growth area measured at the 14th day, or (2) growth area of cultured cells at the 28th day reached \> 70% growth area of the flask. Based on the results from special stain, patients in rapidly proliferative group were further divided into patients with rapid proliferation of HCC cells alone, rapid proliferation of HCC cells with concomitant cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) (HCC + CAFs) and CAFs alone.
Time frame: 28 days after plating of cells
Correlation Between the Growth Speeds of Cultured Cells and Worsening of AJCC TNM Stages or HCC Related Death 6 Months After Plating of Cells
104 Patients with complete follow-up data were further divided into receiving (1) curative treatment of HCC including operative resection and local ablation therapy, (2) palliative transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), and (3) supportive treatment.
Time frame: 6 months after plating of cells
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