INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL-ABUSE ON RECURRENCE AFTER CURATIVE RESECTION OF HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA

Background/Aim: We studied the influence of alcohol abuse (ethanol int ake > 80 gm/day for > 5 yr.) on recurrence in. 81 patients with hepato cellular carcinoma who had undergone curative hepatic resection. Twent y-nine patients were positive for alcohol abuse [AA(+)] and 52 were no t [AA(-)]. Results: Recurrence of carcinoma within 2 and 27 postoperat ive months was observed in 45 (55.6%) of the 81 patients. The median d isease-recurrence time was 12.0 mo in the AA(+) group and 24.1 mo in t he AA(-) group (p < 0.01). The patterns of recurrence were classified into the following 4 types: single-nodular type (intrahepatic single n odule); multi-nodular type (intrahepatic multiple nodules); whole live r type (diffuse recurrence over the whole remnant liver); and extrahep atic type (extrahepatic recrrence alone). Five (29.4%) of the 17 patie nts with recurr ence in the AA(+) group demonstrated the whole liver t ype, compared with only 2(7.1%) of the 28 patients in the AA(-) group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Patients with alcohol abuse should be followed up particularly closely, even if they have received curative surgery, since alcohol abuse is strongly related to postoperative recurrence.