PROGNOSIS OF HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA PATIENTS WITH EXTRAHEPATIC METASTASES

Background/Aims: There is no effective treatment for hepatocellular ca rcinoma (HCC) with extrahepatic metastases. This study investigated th e survival and causes of death in HCC patients with extrahepatic metas tases. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 34 HCC patie nts with extrahepatic metastases who received systemic chemotherapy wi thout other anticancer treatment except prior hepatectomy. We classifi ed causes of death as cancer death and death from other causes, and su bclassified cancer deaths into hepatic cause, extrahepatic cause and c achectic cause. Each cause of death was analyzed in. the two subgroups comprised of 10 patients with bone metastases alone and 22 patients w ith metastatic lesions in. sites other than bone. Results: Thirty-two of the 34 patients had died at the time of analysis. The median. survi val time and the 1-year survival rate were 4.6 mo and 20.3%, respectiv ely. Incidence of hepatic cause, extrahepatic cause, cachectic cause a nd death from other causes were 21 (66%), 7 (22%), 2 (6%) and 2 (6%), respectively. In. the subgroup of 10 patients with bone metastases alo ne, nine (90%) died from hepatic causes, brit none died from extrahepa tic causes. In. the group of 22 patients with metastatic lesions in si tes other than bone, 7 (32%) patients died from extrahepatic causes. C onclusion: The causes of death in HCC patients with extrahepatic metas tases depended on metastatic site at the time of diagnosis. The result s of this study may be useful in, the design. and analysis of future c linical trials of the HCC therapy.