[An analysis of improved long-term survival of patients with liver cancer]

Sixty-six patients surviving over 5 years after resection of primary liver cancer (PLC) were investigated. Of them, subclinical stage amounted to 56.1% (37/66), moderate stage 43.9% (29/66). There were 35 cases with small PLC(less than or equal to 5 cm). Radical resection was performed in 98.5% (65/66). Reoperation for subclinical recurrence and solitary pulmonary metastasis was done in 14 patients, and delayed resection of huge tumor was done in 3 patients. All patients were followed up from 60 to 319 months (mean, 115 months) up to the end of June 1988. Disease free survival was 80.3% (53/66) and death from recurrence was 19.7% (13/66). Authors discussed some aspects of improving Long-term survival of the patients.