Feasibility of alpha-fetoprotein as a diagnostic tool for hepatocellular carcinoma in Korea
The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine
;
: 46-53, 2016.
Article
in English
| WPRIM
| ID: wpr-149375
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) as a diagnostic tool for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Korean patients.METHODS:
We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of HCC and cirrhosis patients at three hospitals. For each HCC patient, a cirrhosis patient matched for age, sex, etiology, and Child-Pugh classification was selected by simple random sampling. The performance of AFP in the diagnosis of HCC was determined using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.RESULTS:
A total of 732 patients with HCC or cirrhosis were selected for each case and the control groups. The mean age was 54 years, and 72.4% of patients were male. The mean serum AFP levels in the HCC group and cirrhosis group were 3,315.6 and 117.2 ng/mL, respectively (p < 0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for all HCC patients was 0.757. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of AFP was 50.55%, 87.70%, and 80.43%, respectively, at a cut-off of 20 ng/mL; 37.70%, 95.90%, and 90.20%, respectively, at a cut-off of 100 ng/mL, and 30.05%, 97.27%, and 91.67%, respectively, at a cut-off of 200 ng/mL. A cut-off of 100 ng/mL was more sensitive than one of 200 ng/mL with equivalent specificity and positive predictive value.CONCLUSIONS:
The cut-off AFP value for early-stage HCC was 17.4 ng/mL. Our study cautiously suggests that AFP has a role in the diagnosis of HCC, and that the appropriate value of AFP for the diagnosis of HCC may be 100 ng/mL rather than 200 ng/mL.
Full text:
Available
Index:
WPRIM (Western Pacific)
Main subject:
Alpha-Fetoproteins
/
Feasibility Studies
/
Predictive Value of Tests
/
Retrospective Studies
/
ROC Curve
/
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular
/
Area Under Curve
/
Republic of Korea
/
Liver Neoplasms
/
Neoplasm Staging
Type of study:
Diagnostic study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
English
Journal:
The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine
Year:
2016
Type:
Article
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