Surgical outcome in cirrhotic patients with hepatitis C-related hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to clarify the surgical outcome in cirrhotic patients with hepatitis C-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HC C). METHODOLOGY: The surgical outcome of 26 HCVAb-positive cirrhotic patients w ith hepatitis C antibody (the C-related HCC group) and 18 HCVAb-negative ci rrhotic patients with (the non-C-related HCC group) undergoing hepatectomy for HCC were compared. The C-related HCC group was HCVAb[+], HBsAg[-] for h epatitis B surface antigen in 25 patients and HCVAb[+], HBsAg[+] in 1, and the non C-related HCC group was HCVAb[-], HBsAg[+] in 15 and HCVAb[-], HBsA g[-] in 3. RESULTS: Preoperative aspartate and,alanine aminotransferase in the C-relat ed HCC group were significantly (P<0.01) higher than in the non-C-related H CC group. There were no significant differences in the operative method, in traoperative blood loss and weight of resected liver or pathological data b etween the 2 groups. In the recurrence pattern, the incidence of multicentr ic occurrence in the C-related HCC group (53.3%) was significantly (P<0.05) higher than in the non-C-related HCC group (7.7%). The mortality rate in b oth groups was 0% and no operative death was encountered. The crude surviva l and disease-free survival rates at 3 years were similar: 80.8% and 57.7% in the C-related HCC group and 77.8% and 55.6% in the non-C-related HCC gro up, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Although surgically treated cirrhotic patients with C-related HCC showed worse preoperative hepatitis status and a higher incidence of re currence due to multicentricity compared with non-C-related HCC, the mortal ity and prognosis of patients with C-related HCC did not differ from that o f non-C-related HCC. The indication of hepatic resection and consideration for the high incidence of postoperative multicentric occurrence in the pati ents with C-related HCC should therefore be more careful than in patients w ith non-C-related HCC.