Features of massive hepatocellular carcinomas

Massive hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) are uncommon and poorly characterized.

To characterize a large cohort of HCC patients with massive tumors, with documented baseline characteristics and survival data.

Records were examined of a cohort of 344 biopsy-proven and randomly presenting unresectable HCC patients with tumors of at least 10 cm diameter (massive), which were analyzed for their clinical characteristics and survival.

Massive HCC patients were significantly different from others, in having less severe cirrhosis and higher blood platelet counts, α-fetoprotein (AFP), alkaline phosphatase (ALKP), and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP) levels. Platelets, ALKP, and GGTP correlated with tumor size. Within massive HCCs, ALKP levels related to tumor number, whereas platelet counts related to tumor size. AFP and GGTP related to neither. All four parameters related to survival. A multivariate Cox proportional hazard model showed that ALKP and AFP were significant for overall survival. Survival of massive tumors was not significantly worse than for other larger tumors.

Massive HCCs were characterized by high blood platelets, AFP, ALKP, and GGTP levels. AFP levels were important for survival, but did not directly relate to tumor size or number, suggesting that AFP represents some other property of massive HCC biology. Patients with massive HCC should thus be considered for active therapeutic intervention, just as for other sizes of HCC.