title: Growth rate of hepatocellular carcinoma: evaluation with serial computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the growth rate of untreated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by calculating tumor volume doubling time (TVDT) on serial computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to predict TVDT based on initial tumor size.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen untreated HCCs in 11 patients with cirrhosis who underwent serial CT or MRI at our institution were retrospectively identified. Two independent readers recorded bidimensional measurements for all tumors, which were used to determine tumor volume (TV). Growth rate was expressed as TVDT. A mathematic model was used to predict TVDT based on baseline tumor size.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean baseline and follow-up TVs were 10.5 cm3 (range: 0.7-243.6 cm3) and 22.0 cm3 (range: 2.5-870.8 cm3), respectively. Mean duration of follow-up was 176 days (range: 76-472 days). Mean TVDT was 127 days (95% confidence interval: 80, 203; range: 17.5-541.4 days). Expected TVDT could be expressed as TVDT = 114 x (baseline volume)0.14 (P < 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest a preferred interval follow-up of approximately 4.5 months (127 days) for HCC screening. Small HCCs show a tendency toward faster growth and may require shorter follow-up to demonstrate progression.
authors: Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA. bachir.taouli@med.nyu.edu
authors: Bachir
authors: B
authors: Taouli
authors: Jeffrey S K
authors: JS
authors: Goh
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Lu
authors: Aliya
authors: A
authors: Qayyum
authors: Benjamin M
authors: BM
authors: Yeh
authors: Raphael B
authors: RB
authors: Merriman
authors: Fergus V
authors: FV
authors: Coakley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed