title: Hepatic resection with tumor thrombectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma with tumor thrombi in the major vasculatures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is still controversial whether surgical or non-surgical treatments should be adopted for hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) with tumor thrombi (TT) in the major vasculatures. We evaluate the effectiveness of and the indications for hepatic resection with tumor thrombectomy for such patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen patients with TT in the major vasculatures caused by HCC were enrolled. Eleven patients had Vp3 TT, 5 patients had Vv3 TT, and 1 patient had Vp3 and Vv3 TT, concurrently. Out of the 17 patients, 13 underwent hepatic resections with tumor thrombectomies and the remaining 4 received only hepatic resections without tumor thrombectomies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In patients with Vp3 TT, median and mean survival times were 7.8 and 18.5 months, respectively, and 1- and 5-year survival rates were 36.4% and 18.2%, respectively. In patients with Vv3 TT, median and mean survival times were 9.9 and 8.4 months, respectively. Patients who underwent hepatic resections with tumor thrombectomies had significantly better prognoses than those who did not receive tumor thrombectomies (p=0.0039).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prognosis of HCC patients with TT in the major vasculatures, who have relatively small primary tumors, good hepatic functional reserves and no distant metastases should be good, if hepatic resections with tumor thrombectomies are performed.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, Hiroshima University Hospital, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asahara
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Itamoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katayama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakahara
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hino
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dohi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakanishi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kitamoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Azuma
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shimamoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D017131:Thrombectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000601:surgery