Hepatic resection for multiple hepatocellular carcinoma less than 5 cm: a prospective comparative study

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Surgical Oncology
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Multiple hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) presents a significant treatment challenge.
• Prognosis and prognostic factors following hepatic resection for multiple HCC are not well-documented prospectively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively evaluate the outcomes of surgical resection in patients with multiple HCC.
• To compare clinicopathologic data and survival results between different tumor size groups.

Main Methods:

• Prospective data collection from 81 patients undergoing curative HCC resection (Jan 2008-Jan 2009).
• Patients categorized into Group A (2-3 HCCs, largest tumor >3cm to ≤5cm) and Group B (2-3 HCCs, largest tumor ≤3cm).
• Comparison of clinicopathologic features and survival rates between Group A and Group B.

Main Results:

• Group B demonstrated higher 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-year survival rates (93.0%, 80.0%, 66.0%, 47.0%) compared to Group A (75.0%, 58.0%, 50.0%, 44.0%).
• Disease-free survival rates were notably lower in Group A (1-4 years: 43.0%, 30.0%, 23.0%, 15.0%) versus Group B (71.0%, 54.0%, 44.0%, 36.0%).
• Median disease-free survival was significantly shorter in Group A (10.0 months) than in Group B (30.0 months, P=0.011).

Conclusions:

• Hepatic resection can offer survival benefits for patients with multiple HCC, even when the largest tumor is between 3 cm and 5 cm.
• While survival is comparable, larger tumor size in multiple HCC cases is associated with reduced disease-free survival.