title: Long-term safety of autotransfusion during hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the long-term safety of autotransfusion (AT) in hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 1988 and 1989, 46 patients with HCC underwent hepatectomy with AT (group 1). For a comparison, we matched 50 patients with HCC who underwent hepatectomy, and received homologous but not autologous blood (group 2). The 10-year cumulative survival curves and cancer-free curves of the two groups were examined, and the pattern of recurrence was compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Group 1 had a significantly higher cumulative 10-year survival rate than group 2, at 20% vs 8%, respectively (P < 0.05). Among the patients who underwent curative resection, those in group 1 had significantly better cumulative survival and cancer-free survival rates than those in group 2, at 27% vs 11% (P < 0.05) and 13% vs 0% (P < 0.05), respectively. Among the patients with stage I-II HCC, those in group 1 had significantly better cumulative survival and cancer-free survival rates than those in group 2, at 30% vs 5% (P < 0.01) and 20% vs 5% (P < 0.05), respectively. However, the rates were similar among patients with stage III-IV disease in both groups. The pattern of recurrence in the two groups was similar.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Autotransfusion promoted survival in patients undergoing hepatectomy for stage I or II HCC.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, Hyogo College of Medicine, 1-1 Mukogawacho, Nishinomiya 663-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Tadamichi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamanaka
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iimuro
authors.forename: Jiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
mesh_terms: D001804:Blood Transfusion, Autologous / Q000009:adverse effects; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011379:Prognosis; D012449:Safety; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015996:Survival Rate