title: Recurrence after resection of alpha-fetoprotein-positive hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: The long-term prognosis of surgery for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not yet satisfactory, the main reason being the high recurrence rate. The authors report the results of a long-term follow-up of 308 patients with HCC who became alpha-fetoprotein-(AFP)-negative after resection between 1975 and 1991. By March 1992, there was recurrence in 134 patients (43.5%). The 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year recurrence rates were 9.2%, 38.8%, 54.9% and 85.0%, respectively. The 5-year survival rate was 49.7% for patients who had undergone a second hepatic resection (n = 48). Analysis of factors influencing postoperative recurrence indicated that patients subjected to mass survey, with a lower gamma-glutamyltransferase level, at an early stage of TNM classification, with a tumour of less than 5 cm, without tumour embolus, and with postoperative immunotherapy had a lower incidence of recurrence. It is concluded that the earlier the disease is diagnosed, the less the recurrence rate; adjuvant immunotherapy may reduce postoperative recurrence, and the early detection and resection of a recurrent tumour are important to prolonging survival further after curative resection of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Liver Cancer Institute, Shanghai Medical University, China.
authors.forename: X D
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Z Y
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Y Q
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: J Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Z Y
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Z C
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012086:Reoperation; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins