Influence of higher BMI for hepatitis B- and C-related hepatocellular carcinomas

Although obesity is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development, its impact on the surgical outcomes of patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related HCC remains unclear.

We retrospectively analyzed 714 patients with HCC who underwent curative hepatectomy. Among them, the HBV-related HCC group (n = 125) and HCV-related HCC group (n = 426) were subdivided according to the presence of body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m². The surgical outcomes were compared.

The 5-year overall survival rate after hepatectomy in the HBV-related HCC group was significantly better than that in the HCV-related HCC group. The 5-year overall survival rates of the HBV-related HCC with and without BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² groups were 65 and 85%, respectively. The 5-year overall survival rates in the HCV-related HCC with and without BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² groups were 75 and 65%, respectively. The HBV-related HCC with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² groups had a significantly worse prognosis than the HBV-related HCC without BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² groups, while the HCV-related HCC with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² groups had a significantly better prognosis than the HCV-related HCC without BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² groups. Multivariate analysis revealed that BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² was the positive and negative prognostic factor for the surgical outcomes of patients with HBV- and HCV-related HCC, respectively.

BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² negatively affected the surgical outcomes of patients with HBV-related HCC and positively affected those of patients with HCV-related HCC.