Muscle wasting is an important prognostic factor in patients treated with sorafenib.

BCAA supplementation and walking exercise were found to be effective and easily implemented for improving muscle volume and strength in liver cirrhosis patients.

The present ADRES score was simple and easy to use and may be useful for predicting risk of HCC development in short term after reaching SVR24 by DAAs.

Background Muscle atrophy (MA) and muscle strength decline are important clinical features in chronic liver disease (CLD) patients. An easy to perform MA screening method without need for special equipment would be helpful. We evaluated the usefulness of the previously reported finger‐circle test as screening for MA in CLD patients. Methods We retrospectively enrolled 358 Japanese CLD outpatients (70.8 ± 10.2 years, male/female = 234/124) who had undergone a computed tomography examination from December 2017 to March 2018, of whom 137 had chronic hepatitis, 169 had liver cirrhosis Child–Pugh A, and 52 had liver cirrhosis Child–Pugh B/C. Bilateral psoas muscle area at the middle of the third lumber vertebra (L3) was evaluated with computed tomography findings, which was performed as a screening of hepatocellular carcinoma, using a previously reported parameter for MA [psoas index (PI): total psoas muscle area (cm 2 )/height (m) 2 ] [mean PI ± standard deviation (SD) of male patients: 6.50 ± 1.13 cm 2 /m 2 and those of female patients: 4.30 ± 0.90 cm 2 /m 2 ]. We then evaluated the correlation between MA and finger‐circle test results in these patients. Results The mean PI values for finger‐circle test results Bigger, Just‐fits, and Smaller were 5.64 ± 1.34, 5.00 ± 1.25, and 4.83 ± 1.46 cm 2 /m 2 , respectively, in male patients ( P < 0.001) and 4.31 ± 1.06, 3.93 ± 0.97, and 3.42 ± 0.94 cm 2 /m 2 , respectively, in female patients ( P = 0.001). We found that a finger‐circle test result in male patients other than Bigger (Just‐fits and Smaller) predicted a decline in psoas muscle area of L3 to PI 5.25 cm 2 /m 2 (sensitivity/specificity 0.619/0.667, area under the curve 0.654, 95% confidence interval 0.583–0.724), which was approximately mean minus 1 SD (5.37 cm 2 /m 2 ). On the other hand, a Smaller test result in female patients predicted a decline in psoas muscle area of L3 to PI 3.33 cm 2 /m 2 (sensitivity/specificity 0.740/0.583, area under the curve 0.698, 95% confidence interval 0.583–0.813), approximately mean minus 1 SD (3.40 cm 2 /m 2 ). Conclusions The finger‐circle test is an easy to perform and effective screening method for predicting earlier stage of MA in CLD patients without the need for special equipment.

Muscle volume loss and HCC, but not PHT, were found to be independent prognostic factors for death in LC patients.

Muscle volume loss is an independent prognostic factor in HCC patients treated with surgical resection, while advanced age and decreased muscle function might indicate high risk for postoperative delirium.

Background/Aim: Determination of failure of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for treatment of Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage B (BCLC-B) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has become important because of the development of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment. We evaluated the usefulness and efficacy of the newly proposed time to TACE progression (TTTP). Patients and Methods: From 2006 to 2016, 192 BCLC-B HCC patients [median age 72 years, male/female ratio = 149/43, Child-Pugh score 5/6/7 = 106/56/30, albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade 1/2 = 64/128, Kinki criteria B1/B2 = 64/128] were enrolled. TTTP was defined based on a previous report and first imaging performed 3 months after initial TACE had been used to obtain baseline images. The patients were divided into three groups according to TTTP (<5, 5-10, and ≥10 months; group I, II, and III, respectively). We evaluated the relationship between TTTP and overall survival (OS) as well as the prognostic factors for death. Results: The median number of TACE procedures was 4 (interquartile range 3-7). There was a moderate correlation between TTTP and OS (r = 0.527, 95% CI 0.416-0.622, p < 0.001). The median survival for group I (n = 78), II (n = 49), and III (n = 65) was 24.6, 34.7, and 49.5 months, respectively (group I vs. group II, p = 0.023; group I vs. group III, p < 0.001; group II vs. group III, p = 0.037; Holm's method). ALBI grade 2 (HR 1.548, 95% CI 1.004-2.388, p = 0.048), alpha-fetoprotein (>100 ng/mL) (HR 1.540, 95% CI 1.035-2.291, p = 0.033), and TTTP (<5 months) (HR 2.157, 95% CI 1.447-3.215, p < 0.001) were significant prognostic factors for death in multivariate Cox hazard analysis. Conclusion: In patients with reduced TTTP, especially <5 months, it might be difficult to improve prognosis with a repeated TACE procedures. In such cases, reconsideration of the therapeutic strategy might be needed when possible.

Although a reduced serum zinc level is often observed in patients with chronic liver disease due to hepatitis virus, its prognostic importance has not been adequately investigated. This study aimed to elucidate the association of zinc deficiency with prognosis, especially in early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Methods: From 2005 to 2018, 466 patients with naïve HCC due to hepatitis virus were enrolled (327 men, 139 women; median age 70 years; hepatitis C virus [HCV] n = 389, hepatitis B virus [HBV] n = 69, hepatitis C virus and hepatitis B virus n