Hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND: The significance of pTNM staging of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as a prognostic factor after hepatic resection was evaluated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The prognoses were analyzed in 262 patients treated with hepatic resection for HCC. RESULTS: AS a whole, the pTNM stages correlated well with the survival rates, The survival rates of stage I and II patients were significantly higher than those of stages hi and IV, However, there was no significant difference in survivals between stage I and II, and between stage III and W-A. The survival rates of the patients treated with segmentectomy or lobectomy in stages I and II were significantly higher than those with subsegmentectomy or smaller resection. Multivariate analysis revealed that tumor size greater than 2 cm, multiple gross tumors, surgical margin less than 1 cm, and Child C classification were independently significant factors of poor survival. CONCLUSIONS: The results of hepatic resection for HCC should be stratified by pTNM staging and by Child classification of hepatic function before comparison. (C) 1997 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.