Research progress of endothelial cell encapsulation of tumor clusters in hepatocellular carcinoma
CAI Zidong
XU Junqing
CHEN Zipan
HUANG Shangqing
CHEN Xiaodong
Abstract：In recent years,a new metastasis mechanism,vessels encapsulating tumor clusters(VETC),has been discovered.It represents a unique histological vascular pattern that is largely independent of the transfer mechanism of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),specifically the epithelial-mesenchymal transition.VETC has been repeatedly shown to be an independent predictor of disease recurrence and overall survival in HCC patients.This article provides a comprehensive review of VETC,deeply dissecting its pathogenesis and elaborating on the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying tumor development.It details the clinicopathological characteristics,including clinical manifestations,histopathological morphology,and immunohistochemical features.Additionally,the article systematically summarizes the imaging characteristics,covering the imaging findings of ultrasound,CT,MRI,and other examination methods,so as to provide a theoretical basis for the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.Moreover,this article expounds on its role as an independent prognostic factor in predicting the recurrence and survival of hepatocellular carcinoma and looks ahead to future directions such as immune-combined targeted therapy and the construction of multi-omics models.
Keywords：hepatocellular carcinomavessels encapsulating tumor clusterhemangiogenesisbiomarkerscancer metastasis
Publication Date：2025-06-30
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：7( 311-317 )