title: [Prognostic factors for survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after radiofrequency ablation].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Currently there is no consensus on which staging system is the best in predicting the survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to identify independent factors to predict survival and to compare 4 available prognostic staging systems in patients with early HCC after radiofrequency ablation.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively studied 100 Korean patients with early HCC. Prognostic factors for survival were analysed by univariate and multivariate analysis using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard regression models. Okuda, Cancer of the Liver Italian Program (CLIP), TNM and Japanese integrated staging score (JIS score) were evaluated before the treatments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall survival rates of 12, 24 and 36 months were 89%, 76%, and 64% respectively and the mean survival duration was 45 months. Multivariable analysis showed that albumin, total bilirubin and size of tumor were independent prognostic factors. Multivariate analysis showed that TNM and JIS score staging systems were significant staging systems for the prediction of prognosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both TNM and JIS score are more effective than the Okuda and CLIP staging systems in stratifying patients into different risk groups with early HCC. However, JIS score gives better prediction of prognosis in patients with HCC after radiofrequency ablation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sang Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Ji Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jo
authors.forename: Seul Ki
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Byoung Soung
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Go
authors.forename: Jong Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Jong Cheol
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Sung Wook
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jin Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Myung Hwan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Roh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome