Clinical characteristics and surgical outcome in hepatocellular carcinoma without hepatitis B virus surface antigen or hepatitis C virus antibody.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated clinical characteristics and surgical outcome of hepatocellular carcinoma in association with hepatitis viral status. No consensus exists concerning differences in surgical outcome in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma according to viral hepatitis status, especially those negative for hepatitis B virus surface antigen and antibody to hepatitis C virus.


METHODS
Clinicopathologic data were available for 39 hepatectomy patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who were negative for hepatitis B virus surface antigen and hepatitis C virus antibody. Clinical characteristics and surgical outcome were analyzed retrospectively and compared to those patients with positive hepatitis viral markers.


RESULTS
Patients negative for viral hepatitis markers were more likely to have large, advanced-stages tumors with relatively well-preserved liver function and had a lower incidence of intrahepatic recurrences (P = 0.009). The intrahepatic recurrence rate reached a plateau at approximately 3 years after resection in patients with negative viral markers, while it continued to increase steadily in patients positive for viral hepatitis markers. By multivariable analysis, the absence of viral hepatitis markers predicted a decreased rate of intrahepatic recurrence (relative risk, 0.222; P = 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Adequate surgical resection in hepatocellular carcinoma patients negative for viral markers offers a good survival benefit, regardless of the etiology of the hepatocellular carcinoma.
Tanaka
Kuniya
K
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan. ktrj112@urahp.yokohama-cu.ac.jp
Shimada
Hiroshi
H
Matsuo
Kenichi
K
Nagano
Yasuhiko
Y
Endo
Itaru
I
Togo
Shinji
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins