[Evaluation of irregular hepatectomy for primary liver carcinoma]

From 1964 to 1985, 120 patients with primary liver carcinoma were treated by operation in our hospital. Regular hepatectomy was done in 7 patients, palliative irregular hepatectomy in 28 and radical irregular in 85. The operation mortality was 4.2% in irregular hepatectomy group (113 cases) but 14.3% in regular hepatectomy group (7 cases) (P greater than 0.05). The 1, 3 and 5 year survival rates were 68.8%, 48.1% and 20.0% in radical irregular hepatectomy group but 83.3%, 33.3% and 16.7% in regular hepatectomy group. 10 of 28 patients treated by palliative hepatectomy were added with radiation. Majority of these patients died in 1 year after operation but 2 patients survived for more than 2 years and 1 for more than 7 years. The data show that in Asia, the incidence of primary liver carcinoma concurrent with liver cirrhosis is high and irregular hepatectomy is a suitable treatment. There is no difference between irregular and regular hepatectomy groups in the prognosis. But the former could reduce the operative time, mortality and the possibility of bleeding and complications.