The Risk Factors for Intrahepatic Early Recurrence after Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to comprehend the prognosis and risk factors for the early recurrence after resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Between 1997 and 2005, 237 patients underwent curative resection for HCC at Kyungpook National University Hospital. The patients were followed up regularly to detect any recurrences of HCC by performing imaging studies and AFP. Early recurrence was defined as recurrence that occurred within one year after resection. The patients were divided into the early recurrence group and the others, which included both patients without recurrence and with recurrence that occurred later than 1 year after resection. The clinicopathologic factors of both group were compared to identify the prognosis and the risk factors by performing univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Seventy three patients (30.8%, 73/238) had early recurrence after resection and 164 patients (69.2%, 164/238) didn`t have recurrence in the first year. The survival rate was significantly better in the without early recurrence group than that in the early recurrence group (96.3% vs 60.3% and 85.1% vs 23.4%, 62.8% vs 7.3% 1, 3, 5 years). The risk factors for early recurrence in the HCC patients were a tumor size greater than 5 cm (P=0.011; odds ratio=2.304) and vascular invasion (P=<0.001; odds ratio=6.342). CONCLUSION: Since a large tumor size and vascular invasion are the risk factors for early recurrence, the patients who have these risk factors should be followed up with caution and possible postoperative adjuvant therapeutic trials should be considered.