title: Tumor localization as a prognostic factor in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: We investigated the significance of tumor localization as a contributory factor in the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. A trend toward a better survival rate was noted in the 57 patients whose tumors were confined to the left hepatic lobe [left lobe group] as compared with the 146 patients whose tumors were located strictly in the right hepatic lobe [right lobe group]. The difference in survival was significant (p < 0.02) in stage I and stage II disease, but equivalent survival rates were seen in stage III and stage IV disease. The right lobe group patients with stage I or stage II disease who underwent lobectomy or segmentectomy had a better survival rate than those undergoing subsegmentectomy or limited resection (p < 0.001). But in the left lobe group, no difference was observed with various operative procedures. These results lead us to speculate that tumor localization might be a contributory factor in the postoperative prognosis, and an important determinant of the operative approach to hepatocellular carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery II, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Torii
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nonami
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakao
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takagi
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015996:Survival Rate