title: Diagnostic clues for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma: comparison of tumour markers and imaging studies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate the usefulness of monitoring Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive alpha-fetoprotein (AFP-L3) and des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin detected with a revised kit (DCP-R) as clues to the diagnosis of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 57 patients with HCC were enrolled in the study. They were classified into two groups: group A comprised 27 patients in whom the diagnostic clue to recurrent HCC appeared before November 1997; these patients were monitored by ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), AFP and des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin detected with a conventional kit (DCP-C). Group B comprised 30 patients in whom the diagnostic clue to recurrent HCC was detected after November 1997; these patients were monitored by ultrasound, CT, AFP, AFP-L3 and DCP-R.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In group A, 22 and five HCC recurrences were recognized initially by imaging studies and tumour markers, respectively. In group B, 17 and 13 HCC recurrences were recognized initially by imaging studies and tumour markers, respectively. The number of patients in whom tumour markers were the first clue to the diagnosis of recurrent HCC was significantly higher in group B than in group A.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Periodic examination of AFP-L3 and DCP-R may be useful for the early detection of recurrent HCC.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka-ken, Japan. nyando@med.kurume.u-ac.jp
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Fumihiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Ryoko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuromatsu
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takada
authors.forename: Kazuta
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukumori
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sumie
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okuda
authors.forename: Ryukichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumashiro
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sata
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000097:blood; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood; D011516:Prothrombin; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011498:Protein Precursors; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; C008208:acarboxyprothrombin; D011516:Prothrombin