Prognosis of a large cohort of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in a single European centre

Background/Aim: Only a few follow up data are available for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Europe and the USA. Therefore, we analysed all HCC patients admitted to our hospital between 1988 and 1999. Methods., We documented aetiology, stage (HCC: Okuda and UICC classifications, liver cirrhosis: Child-Pugh score), and diagnostic and therapeutic measures of 281 consecutive HCC patients. Survival time was calculated as a function of staging and therapy. Results: Cirrhosis was diagnosed in all patients. Seventy-two patients underwent liver resection, 28 liver transplantation, 31 transarterial chemoembolization and 14 percutaneous ethanol injection. One hundred and thirty-six patients received no treatment. The Okuda and the Child-Pugh classification predicted a significant decrease of median survival time, whereas the UICC classification was less powerful. Conclusions: HCC occurred only in patients with liver cirrhosis. Survival time correlated with therapy (or no therapy) and with the Child-Pugh Score. In European patients the Okuda classification is superior to the UICC classification and should be compared to novel classification systems.