Early recurrence after surgery of hepatocellular carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
In 231 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent liver resection from 1986 to 1992 to determine the significance of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels.


METHODS
There were 13 patients (5.6 per cent) with early recurrence within six months after hepatectomy.


RESULTS
Preoperative serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels were significantly higher in patients with early recurrence (p < 0.01). Postoperative histological examination revealed that there were significant correlations between patients with early recurrence and intrahepatic metastasis (p < 0.01), and portal vein infiltration (p < 0.01). There were significant correlations between patients with early recurrence and preoperative diagnosis of intrahepatic metastasis (p < 0.01), however, preoperative diagnosis of portal vein infiltration could not be detected enough. Eight (73%) of 11 patients with over 1000 ng/ml of AFP and preoperative diagnosis of intrahepatic metastasis had early recurrence (p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
We found that patients of hepatocellular carcinoma with over 1000 ng/ml of AFP and preoperative diagnosis of intrahepatic metastasis are the most important factors in the preoperative clinical data linked to early recurrence type of HCC after hepatectomy.
Ikeda
Y
Y
Second Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Kajiyama
K
K
Adachi
E
E
Yamagata
M
M
Shimada
M
M
Yanaga
K
K
D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins