A Study on Recurrence of Resected Cases for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Muneaki Matsumoto, Yoshiyuki Nakajima, Toshiyuki Fukuoka, Michiyoshi Hisanaga, Yukio Aomatsu, Kiyoshi Kido, Jyunichiro Taki, Atsushi Yoshimura, Masato Horikawa, Hiroshige Nakano

First Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University

Forty of 49 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) underwent hepatectomy, excluding 6 with noncurative resection and 3 with operative deaths, were reviewed. Overall one-, three- and five-year disease-free survival rates were 57, 42 and 26%, respectively. The factors significantly associated with recurrence were tumor size over 3 cm in diameter and positive portal vein involvement, but not macroscopic tumor invasion to the cut stump. In cases of tumors under 3 cm in diameter, a good outcome could be expected even if the treatment was limited hepatectomy. There were 25 recurrences in this series, and 22 of them were within 2 years after hepatectomy. One-, two- and three-year cumulative survival rates after recurrence were 63, 26 and 17%, respectively. It was suggested that therapy for the patients with confluent multinodular type and positive portal vein involvement should be developed, since in such cases early recurrence after hepatectomy and short survival after recurrence were observed.

Key words
hepatocellular carcinoma, risk factors related to recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma, disease free survival after hepatectomy, gross type of hepatocellular carcinoma, therapy for resected cases of hepatocellular carcinoma

Reprint requests
Muneaki Matsumoto First Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University
840 Shijyo-cho, Kashihara, 634 JAPAN

Accepted
September 4, 1991

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