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Query: UMLS:C0023890 (cirrhosis)
 42,195 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Knowledge of the cellular changes that lead to hepatic neoplasia in humans is limited. Cirrhosis is a common antecedent or accompaniment of liver cell carcinoma and it seems that both its etiology and its time of duration are relevant risk factors. Many cellular changes have been observed in patients and among populations considered to be at risk. Of these, liver cell dysplasia is the most striking, and studies of its prevalence, natural history, and association with particular forms of cirrhosis suggest that it is a precancerous change. Bile duct carcinoma may follow infestation with liver flukes and duct epithelial hyperplasia is present before the development of cancer. Angiosarcoma from several causes is commonly preceded by a peculiar fibrosis, vascular changes, and Kupffer cell hyperplasia.
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PMID:Precancerous changes in the human liver. 22

Four cases of hepatic angiosarcoma are reported with a review of 99 other cases in the English literature. Angiosarcoma of the liver is associated with chronic exposure to thorotrast, vinyl chloride, arsenicals, radium and possibly copper and with chronic idiopathic hemochromatosis. Although 40% of patients have hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis at autopsy, the nature of the association between chronic liver disease and hepatic angiosarcoma is unknown. The clinical presentation of hepatic angiosarcoma is nonspecific with abdominal pain, weakness and weight loss common complaints and with hepatomegaly, ascites and jaundice common findings. Liver function tests are usually abnormal but there is no one liver function test or set of tests specific for the tumor. The occurrence of thrombocytopenia and disseminated intravascular coagulation is characteristic of hepatic angiosarcoma and may be related to local consumption of clotting factors and formed blood elements in the tumor. Catastrophic intraabdominal bleeding is also characteristic and occurs in one-fourth of all cases. This complication is likely related to the high incidence of clotting abnormalities and the vascular nature of the neoplasm. Selective hepatic arteriogram and open liver biopsy are the foundations of diagnostic evaluation. Percutaneous liver biopsy should be avoided. Failure to appreciate the possibility of hepatic angiosarcoma in the proper clinical setting, leading to blind percutaneous biopsy, may result in failure to make the diagnosis at the cost of significant morbidity and mortality. Survival of patients with hepatic angiosarcoma is brief; only 3% live longer than 2 years. Treatment of the tumor to date is empirical. There are probably a few patients who might benefit from radical surgery with curative intent. For all others chemotherapy is indicated. Adriamycin is active against hepatic angiosarcoma, but optimal dose and mode of administration require further investigation. Further study is also required to delineate the cause of hepatic angiosarcoma in the 60% of cases without definite epidemiologic association.
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PMID:The clinical features of hepatic angiosarcoma: a report of four cases and a review of the English literature. 36 8

Angiosarcoma is a rare malignant neoplasm of vascular endothelial cells. A majority are primarily in the skin. Angiosarcoma of the head and neck is the most common form, but only constitutes 0.1% of all head and neck malignancies. We present an extraordinary case of a 71-year-old man 6 months status postorthotopic liver transplant secondary to end-stage liver disease from cryptogenic cirrhosis, who presented to the liver clinic with a rapidly growing scalp tumor and hypodense lesions within the liver. Further work-up and biopsies confirmed the first documented case of primary scalp angiosarcoma with metastasis to the liver in an orthotopic liver transplant patient.
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PMID:Primary scalp angiosarcoma with metastasis to the liver in an orthotopic liver transplant patient. 2441 Apr 61

Strong experimental and clinical evidences have definitely linked occupational vinyl chloride exposure to development of angiosarcoma of the liver. In contrast, despite the International Agency for Research on Cancer having included vinyl chloride among the causes of hepatocellular carcinoma, the association between vinyl chloride exposure and hepatocellular carcinoma remains debated. This issue is relevant, because occupational exposure to high levels of vinyl chloride may still occur. We report a unique case of sequential occurrences of hepatocellular carcinoma and angiosarcoma of the liver, in a vinyl chloride-exposed worker without cirrhosis and any known risk factor for chronic liver disease. Both the hepatocellular carcinoma and the surrounding normal liver showed micronucleus formation, which reflects genotoxic effect of vinyl chloride. Angiosarcoma showed a KRAS G12D point mutation, which is considered to be characteristic of vinyl chloride-induced angiosarcoma. This case supports the pathogenic role of vinyl chloride in both hepatocellular carcinoma and angiosarcoma development.
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PMID:Sequential development of hepatocellular carcinoma and liver angiosarcoma in a vinyl chloride-exposed worker. 2754 4

Angiosarcoma is a rare type of soft tissue sarcoma that accounts for less than 1% of all sarcomas and only 2% of all primary hepatic tumours. Thorotrast, arsenic, and vinyl chloride monomer are frequently listed as occupational exposure risks. The estimated latency is long (10-40 years) in occupational cases and very long (60 years or more) in non-occupational cases. The symptoms and CT-scan appearance of hepatic angiosarcoma (HAS) are non-specific. We present a case of a 65-year-old Caucasian male with history of cryptogenic cirrhosis, low alpha-foetoprotein levels and a single, 4-cm nodule of potential atypical hepatocellular carcinoma (no washout at MRI and CT-scan) in segment VIII. Laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation (a biopsy of the neoplastic lesion was technically impossible) was performed, followed by liver transplantation (LT) 6 months later. High-grade multifocal HAS was found in the explanted liver, with extensive involvement of the venous portal structures. No complications were observed during the postoperative course, and initial immunosuppression included tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil and corticosteroids. Because of the histological findings, tacrolimus was switched to everolimus as the main immunosuppressive drug one month after LT. Despite this conversion, the patient developed bone metastases 3 months after LT and peritoneal carcinosis one month later. This case report suggests that everolimus conversion does not inhibit the development of tumour metastases. Consequently, HAS remains an absolute contraindication to LT because of the poor outcome. If LT has been performed for incidental HAS, new molecular therapies (e.g. vascular endothelial growth factor antagonists) should be considered immediately after LT to improve the outcome.
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PMID:Primary hepatic angiosarcoma and liver transplantation: Radiological, surgical, histological findings and clinical outcome. 2841 60