CHARACTERISTICS AND PROGNOSIS OF PRIMARY LIVER-CANCER IN YOUNG-PATIENTS IN CHINA

To investigate the clinicopathologic characteristics of primary liver cancer (PLC) in young adults, 77 patients aged 35 or younger were comp ared with 603 patients older than 35 years during the same period. In the young patients, PLC showed: (1) a low incidence detected at mass s urvey (young 15.6% vs older 28.7%, P < 0.05); (2) a low level of histo ry of hepatitis (young 36.8% vs older 66.3%, P < 0.01); (3) a high inc idence of positivity for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) (young 79 .2% vs older 67.6%, P < 0.05); (4) a relatively low incidence of assoc iated cirrhosis (young 64.9% vs older 90.7%, P < 0.01); (5) larger tum or size (PLC > 5 cm; young 87.0% vs older 73.0%, P < 0.01); and (6) a more advanced stage of the disease according to the TNM classification (stage III; young 29.9% vs older 18.2%, P < 0.05). It is suggested th at hepatitis B virus (HBV) may play an important role in the developme nt of PLC without associated liver cirrhosis in young patients. Close periodic surveillance of young adults who are positive for HBsAg is im portant to detect PLC at an early stage.