Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common and lethal cancers. Progress has been made in treatment of HCC; however, improved outcomes are much needed. The increased metabolic needs of cancer cells underscore the importance of metabolic pathways in cancer cell survival. Lipid metabolism has a role in HCC development; aberrant overexpression of several key enzymes is seen in many solid human tumors. Areas covered: We discuss aberrant lipid metabolism and the promise of multiple targets, in particular related to HCC treatment. We searched PubMed and clinicaltrials.gov for published and unpublished studies from 2000 to 2019. These terms were used: lipids, fatty acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, liver cancer, HCC, de novo fatty acid synthesis, ATP citrate lyase, stearoyl CoA denaturase, fatty acid synthase, acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase, CD147, KLF4, monoglyceride lipase, AMP activated protein kinase. Expert opinion: The importance of dysregulation of fatty acid synthesis in cancer is a growing area of research. HCC demonstrates significant alteration in lipid metabolism, representing great potential as a target for novel therapeutics. Various agents have demonstrated promising antineoplastic activity. This strategy deserves further development for improved outcomes.

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Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is a complex disorder that can induce lethal ventricular arrhythmias, secondary to activation of the sympathetic nervous system. This disease is often diagnosed in childhood but can also manifest in adulthood (the early 40s). Gene mutations such as CALM1, RYR2 (ryanodine receptor-2), CASQ2, and TRDN have been identified as common causes of CPVT. Those affected can present with episodes of syncope, sudden cardiac arrest, or sudden cardiac death due to either fast polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) or bidirectional VT. Diagnosing and managing CPVT can often be challenging as patients are often asymptomatic and may present after a sudden cardiac arrest. Exercise stress testing and genetic testing play a pivotal role in the workup of CPVT. Avoidance of strenuous activities and pharmacological therapy with beta-blockers are the mainstays of treatment. Here, we report a case of CPVT in a patient with RYR2 gene mutation, causing sudden cardiac arrest.

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Primary cardiac tumors (PCTs) are rare and represent a heterogeneous group of tumors, potentially arising from various parts of the heart. The majority of these tumors are benign (90%), with myxoma being the most common subtype. Cardiac hemangiomas are rare vascular tumors that constitute 1-2% of all benign heart neoplasms. We present a rare case of a 79-year-old woman presented with multifocal embolic brain infarcts secondary to cavernous hemangioma of the mitral valve (MV). Cavernous hemangioma was successfully resected with follow-up imaging at six months, demonstrating no regrowth. There are no pathognomonic signs or findings to suggest cavernous hemangioma of the MV on clinical examination or imaging studies. Surgical resection and histopathologic analysis remain the gold standard for diagnosis and treatment, respectively. Following complete resection, the prognosis is generally favorable with a low recurrence rate, but periodic echocardiography is recommended to detect any potential recurrence.

Lung cancers are the most common primary tumors that involve the pericardium with a prevalence of up to 50%. Usually, pericardial involvement goes undetected with almost 10%-12% found among all cancer related autopsies. Rarely pericardial effusions can be the initial site of metastasis and initial manifestation of a primary tumor. In our case, we report a 57-year-old female presenting with cardiac tamponade and subsequent testing was done which revealed lung adenocarcinoma. Malignant pericardial effusions are often silent, but certain times can present with symptoms of shortness of breath, chest pain, cough, arrhythmias, and rarely as pericardial tamponade. A high index of suspicion is required when a patient presents with tamponade to diagnose malignancy. Emergent pericardiocentesis may be warranted depending on the clinical presentation but quite often, patients tend to have a poor prognosis despite therapy given the extent of disease.

Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LCM), also known as neoplastic meningitis, is a rare entity. It is generally seen in solid tumors. Ovarian cancers can infrequently cause LCM. The clinical presentation is variable. Diagnosis is made by a lumbar puncture that shows malignant cells in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and usually correlates with imaging findings. Given the low individual sensitivities of lumbar puncture (55%) and magnetic resonance imaging (70%), it is recommended to combine both modalities for optimal diagnostic results. Treatment options vary depending on the type of primary carcinoma, however, the prognosis is guarded. We report a case of LCM in a patient with stage IV epithelial ovarian cancer in remission, which became a diagnostic challenge due to a lack of imaging findings.

288 Background: Obesity is a risk factor for developing cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). However, the effect of obesity on survival of CCA is unclear. The primary aim of this study was to analyze the impact of obesity upon overall survival of CCA patients. Secondary aims were to analyze impact of obesity upon other disease characteristics such as tumor site, stage, age, sex, BMI and Ca 19-9. Methods: A total of 411 unique pts diagnosed with CCA at Mayo Clinic Florida between 2000 and 2018 were retrieved from our collective SDMS database. Variables evaluated included:demographics, Body Mass Index (BMI), AJCC stage, tumor location and Ca 19-9.A total of 185 pts had all data available pertaining to these variables. We further restricted the analysis to pts with intrahepatic CCA classified BMI as per CDC criteria normal (18.5-25kg/m2), overweight (25-29.9kg/m2) and obese (≥30 kg/m2), thus leaving a total of 152 pts. Continuous and categorical variables were compared across BMI groups using Chi-squared or Fisher’s exact test. Overall survival rates after diagnosis at 1, 2 and 3 years were estimated using Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Among 152 pts included in the study, 28% were normal weight, 40% were overweight and 32% were obese. The overall survival rate at 1, 2 and 3 years for normal weight pts with all stages combined was 54.1%, 35%, and 30.7%, respectively. The overall survival rate at 1, 2 and 3 years for overweight pts with all stages combined was 59.7 %, 32.6%, and 25.4%, respectively. The overall survival rate at 1, 2 and 3 years for obese pts with all stages combined was 63.9%, 37.6%, and 26.7%, respectively(p = 0.8766). Multivariate analysis demonstrated is no significant difference in overall survival for obese pts compared to normal or overweight pts.(Table to be shown) However it showed, gender and Ca19-9 were statistically significant predictors of overall survival, with males and pts with Ca19-9≥100 doing worse (HR1.65 (CI = 1.05, 2.61, p = 0.031) and HR 2.31 (CI = 1.49, 3.59, p = < 0.01), respectively). Conclusions: BMI did not make a significant impact on the overall survival, though there may be a trend toward worse OS for ptswith higher BMI. A larger, stage focused evaluation is warranted for further exploration of this trend.