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Updated: Aug 16, 2026
A Three-Dimensional Spheroid Model to Investigate the Tumor-Stromal Interaction in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Published on: September 30, 2021
Clinicopathologic and prognostic differences between patients with hepatitis B- and C-related resectable
T H Chen1, L M Tseng, G Y Chau
1Department of Surgery, Veterans General Hospital, College of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Department of Biology and Anatomy, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
Background And Purpose:
Hepatitis B and C viral infections are important factors in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study examined the clinicopathologic and prognostic differences in patients with hepatitis B- and C-related resectable HCC.
Methods:
A total of 270 HCC patients who underwent hepatic resection were enrolled. Among these patients, 211 were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and 59 were positive for anti-hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV). The clinical manifestations, pathologic features, and treatment outcomes were compared between the HBsAg-positive and anti-HCV-positive groups.
Results:
Compared to anti-HCV-positive patients, HBsAg-positive patients were significantly younger, had a higher familial incidence of HCC, larger tumor size, and a higher incidence of multiple tumors. HCC patients who were anti-HCV positive had worse liver function and a higher incidence of history of blood transfusion. DNA flow cytometric analysis revealed significantly more proliferative activity in the non-tumor part of the liver in HBsAg-positive HCC patients. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates of HBsAg-positive patients were 79%, 57%, and 48%, respectively, and for anti-HCV-positive patients were 91%, 75%, and 62%, respectively. HBsAg-positive patients had a significantly lower overall survival rate than anti-HCV-positive patients (p = 0.018).
Conclusions:
HBsAg-positive patients with resectable HCC had a less favorable survival rate after tumor resection than anti-HCV-positive HCC patients. This survival difference might have been related to the relatively advanced stage of disease and the higher proliferative activity of the non-tumor part of the liver in HBsAg-positive HCC patients.
