title: Anatomic versus non-anatomic resection for small single hepatocellular carcinomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Anatomical hepatectomy for small hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) is widely preferred but evidence concerning its benefits is inadequate. The aim of this study was to determine whether patient outcome is influenced by the method used to treat small single HCCs.
  
  
  METHODS
  An analysis was performed on 168 patients who underwent curative hepatectomy for a single HCC smaller than 5cm between Jan 1998 and Dec 2001 at Seoul National University Hospital. Ninety-nine of these patients underwent anatomic resection and 69 patients non-anatomic resection. Overall survival rates, disease-free survival rates, and prognostic factors for survival and recurrence were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cumulative 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 86.9%, 73.6% and 65.5% in the anatomic resection group, and 88.4%, 63.8% and 49.7%% in the non-anatomic resection group, respectively (P = 0.032). And, the cumulative 1-, 3- and 5-year disease-free survival rates were 77.8%, 58.6% and 54.4% in the anatomic resection group and 62.3%, 42.0% and 28.6% in the non-anatomic resection group, respectively (P = 0.003). Anatomic resection was confirmed to be an independent favorable factor of disease-free survival by multivariate analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anatomic resection for single small HCCs is superior to non-anatomic resection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Beom
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Kuhn Uk
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hae Won
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eung-Ho
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Sung-Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jai Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Nam-Joon
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Kyung-Suk
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Suh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000601:surgery*; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome