title: The prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma of multicentric origin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The characteristics of patients with multicentric hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) differ from those of patients with intrahepatic metastatic HCC. However, there are few reports regarding the long-term results in patients with HCC of multicentric occurrence. The purpose of this study was to clarify the prognosis of a group of patients with multicentric HCCs.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the outcome in 28 patients with multiple hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) suggestive of multicentric occurrence, all of whom underwent hepatic resection. The disease-free survival, recurrence pattern and survival were analyzed in the two subgroups of 12 patients with single advanced HCC (AdHCC) nodule and an early HCC (eHCC) or early advanced HCC (eAdHCC) nodule [Group A] and 16 patients with two AdHCC lesions [Group B]. These data were also compared with those of 58 patients with solitary AdHCC [Group C].
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both the disease-free survival and survival periods for Groups A and C were significantly longer than those for Group B, while no significant difference was seen between Group A and C. No significant differences among the three groups were recognized in the incidence of various types of recurrence pattern.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The long-term results in patients with multicentric HCC apparently vary depending on the pathological condition at the time of operation. Among patients with multicentric HCC, those with AdHCC combined with an eHCC or eAdHCC are likely to show improved prognosis as a result of hepatic resection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine1 and Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okusaka
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nose
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakasuka
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagahama
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshimori
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takayama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kosuge
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirohashi
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis