title: The impact of newer treatment modalities on survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. However, although the therapeutic approaches for HCC have progressed rapidly, it remains unknown whether the current management of patients with HCC has reduced its mortality. We analyzed changes of survival rate in patients with HCC over a 20-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 1982 and 2001, 463 patients were diagnosed with HCC at our hospital. Subjects were enrolled in the current cohort according to the following inclusion criteria: HCC lesion measuring less than 3 cm in diameter, no evidence of extrahepatic metastasis, and no evidence of main portal vein infiltration/thrombosis. A total of 257 patients with HCC were recruited for this study, and categorized into 5-year intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The survival rates improved significantly during the study period. When the patients were stratified according to Child-Pugh score, only patients with Child's B showed improved survival rates. Furthermore, patients with surgical resection or transarterial chemoembolization during the latter period had a better prognosis than those during the early period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that the development of therapeutic interventions for HCC have led to improvements in the prognosis for HCC patients.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Japan. ntaura-gi@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Naota
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Taura
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hamasaki
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakao
authors.forename: Tatsuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukuta
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawashimo
authors.forename: Masumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kusumoto
authors.forename: Yasuhide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Motoyoshi
authors.forename: Hidetaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.forename: Katsumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eguchi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic; D015331:Cohort Studies; D000431:Ethanol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012997:Solvents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D012997:Solvents; D000431:Ethanol