N. Nagasue et al., Major compared with limited hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinomawithout underlying cirrhosis: A retrospective analysis, EURO J SURG, 165(7), 1999, pp. 638-646
Objective: To find out if patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with
no underlying cirrhosis benefit from major hepatic resection.
Design: Retrospective study.
Setting: University hospital, Japan.
Patients: 58 patients without cirrhosis and with HCC 10 cm in diameter or l
ess.
Interventions: 25 had major and 33 had limited hepatic resections.
Main outcome measures: Overall and disease-free survival, and prognostic fa
ctors verified by univariate and multivariate analyses.
Results: 6 patients developed major complications (10%), two of whom died w
ithin 60 days of operation. There were no differences in postoperative morb
idity and mortality between the two groups. The overall and disease-free su
rvival were similar as was the incidence and pattern of intrahepatic tumour
recurrence. Hepatitis B surface (HBs) antigen (positive), tumour size (sma
ller than 3 cm), and surgical margin (clear) were favourable indicators of
disease-free survival on multivariate analysis.
Conclusions: Major hepatic resection should not necessarily be done for HCC
without cirrhosis but it is important to take an adequate surgical margin.
Overall and disease-free survival are better in patients who are HBs-antig
en positive than those who are negative because most of the latter an posit
ive for hepatitis C virus.