PREDICTIVE FACTORS FOR RECURRENCE AFTER PERCUTANEOUS ETHANOL INJECTION FOR SOLITARY HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA

Background/Aims: Intrahepatic recurrence frequently occurs in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)even after successful percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI). This study investigated factors predicting r ecurrence after PEI for solitary HCC. Materials and Methods: The subje cts were 31 patients with solitary HCC (10-29 mm) who received success ful PEI. We investigated the relationship of pretreatment clinicopatho logical variables to recurrence-free survival including: age, gender, alcohol abuse, tremor size, tumor staining, tumor differentiation, ser um alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, associated liver disease, and Child- Pugh classification. Differences in, recurrence-free survival among su bgroups classified by each factor were evaluated using log-rank tests. Results: Median recurrence-free survival time, 1 and 2 year recurrenc e-free survival rates of all 31 patients were 1.57 years, 72.2% and 45 .4%, respectively. Among the 9 variables evaluated, serum AFP Level of 20 ng/ml or less (p <0.005) and absence of cirrhosis (p =0.025) were factors favoring longer recurrence-free survival significantly. Conclu sion: These results indicate that HCC patients with higher serum AFP l evel or coexistent cirrhosis should be followed more closely even afte r successful PEI.