DISTANT METASTASIS OF HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA AFTER SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT OF THE PRIMARY LESION

Recent advances in both diagnosis and treatment of hepatocellular carc inoma (HCC) have improved the prognosis and changed the clinical signi ficance of the subsequently increasing distant metastases. Of 163 pati ents with HCC, 76 (47%) were treated successfully. The cumulative recu rrence rate in these patients was 65% after 3 years, and 82% after 5 y ears. Six patients with HCC in whom distant metastases were detected a fter successful treatment of the primary lesion, are reported. Two pat ients underwent curative surgical resection, and four cases were treat ed medically, resulting in a 31.9 to 94.3% reduction in tumor size in the CT scan image. Distant metastases without intrahepatic recurrence were diagnosed 10 to 46 months after the treatment of the primary lesi ons. The sites of the metastases included bone 3; lung 2; and adrenal gland 1. Distant metastases found after successful treatment of the pr imary lesions are of great clinical significance for the treatment of HCC.