Utility of Oncological Resectability Criteria in Recurrent Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Hepatectomy

Recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after hepatectomy remains a major clinical challenge, necessitating effective prognostic stratification. The oncological resectability criteria recently proposed by the Japan Liver Cancer Association and the Japanese Society of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery have not yet been validated in recurrent settings. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic utility of these criteria in patients with recurrent HCC after hepatectomy.

This retrospective study included 505 patients with recurrent HCC following initial hepatectomy. Patients were classified into three groups-resectable (R), borderline resectable 1 (BR1), and borderline resectable 2 (BR2)-based on the oncological resectability criteria. Post-recurrence survival was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and multivariate analysis was performed to identify clinical factors associated with post-recurrence survival.

Among the 505 patients, 248 patients were classified as R, 80 as BR1, and 177 as BR2. The median post-recurrence survival was 73.4 months for the R group, 33.6 months for the BR1 group, and 12.4 months for the BR2 group (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified BR1/BR2 classification (p < 0.001), modified albumin-bilirubin grade 2b or 3 (p < 0.001), and recurrence within 1 year (p = 0.004) as independent predictors of poor post-recurrence survival.

The oncological resectability criteria effectively stratified post-recurrence survival in patients with recurrent HCC. These findings suggest that a multidisciplinary approach may benefit patients with BR1 or BR2 recurrence. Further studies are warranted to explore optimal treatment strategies for recurrent HCC.