A simplified prediction model for early intrahepatic recurrence after hepatectomy for patients with unilobar hepatocellular carcinoma without macroscopic vascular invasion: An implication for adjuvant therapy and postoperative surveillance.

BACKGROUND: An accurate prediction model of early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after hepatectomy is important to ascertain the postoperative adjuvant treatment and surveillance. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study including 1125 patients with HCC underwent curative hepatic resection. They were randomly divided into training (n = 562) and validation (n = 563) sets. Early intrahepatic recurrence within 18 months from surgery is the primary outcome. In the training set, a prediction scoring model (Recurrent Liver Cancer Score RLCS) was developed, which was legitimised in the validation set. RESULTS: RLCS was developed based on four clinicopathologic risk factors (serum alpha fetoprotein, tumor size, multiple tumors or satellite nodules, and microvascular invasion). Low-risk and high-risk groups had statistically significant differences in early recurrence rates (18% vs. 43.8%). The 5-year recurrence-free survival rates of low risk and high risk groups were 52.9% and 27.8%, respectively. This model showed good calibration and discriminatory ability in the validation set (c-index of 0.647). CONCLUSION: RLCS is a user-friendly prediction scoring model which can accurately predict the occurrence of early intrahepatic recurrence of HCC. It establishes the basis of postoperative adjuvant treatment and surveillance in future studies.

The role of radiofrequency ablation to liver transection surface in patients with close tumor margin of HCC during hepatectomy-a case matched study.

BACKGROUND: To review the outcome of using radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for patients with close resection margin during hepatectomy. METHODS: From Oct 2004 to Sept 2013, 862 patients received hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the Department of Surgery, Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong. Fourteen patients received additional RFA because of close resection margin (<1 cm) during the operation for HCC. The result of 28 patients with close liver resection margin was selected for comparison. The two groups of patients were matched in terms of tumor size, tumor number, stage of disease and magnitude of resection. RESULTS: In the RFA group (n=14), the median age of the patients was 58.5 (range, 25-78 years). The median tumor size was 2.25 cm (range, 1.2-12 cm). In the resection alone group (n=28), the median age for the patients was 61 (range, 36-79 years). The median tumor size was 2.7 cm (range, 1-11 cm). There was no difference in terms of liver function assessment between the two groups. There was no RFA related complication recorded during the study period. There was no hospital mortality in both groups. The 1- and 3-year disease free survival was 38.3% and 25.5% respectively in the RFA group vs. 57.4% and 39.3% respectively in the liver resection alone group (P=0.563). The 1- and 3-year overall survival was 81.5% and 69.8% respectively in the RFA group vs .88.4% and 59.9% respectively in the liver resection alone group (P=0.83). CONCLUSIONS: RFA to hepatectomy resection surface in patients with close margin is a safe treatment option but its effectiveness on prevention of local recurrence has yet to be confirmed.