Is the Cancer of the Liver Italian Program system an adequate weighting for survival of hepatocellular carcinoma? Evaluation of intrascore prognostic value among 36 subgroups.
BACKGROUND
The Cancer of the Liver Italian Program (CLIP) staging system for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was subdivided into 36 subgroups. We aimed to validate the prognostic value of CLIP scoring.


METHODS
This study included 3868 HCC cases treated between 1986 and 2002. Survival and prognostic impact of all subgroups were analysed.


RESULTS
In primary CLIP, comparisons of each score showed a significant difference (P<0.001) and exhibited a linear trend (P<0.001). A CLIP score of 0 was used as control group. Portal vein thrombosis, Child-Pugh B, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) > or =400 ng/ml and multinodular with tumour extension < or =50% of the four subgroups with a CLIP score of 1 exhibited decreasing univariate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals, with values of 2.99 (2.05-4.37), 2.39 (2.00-2.86), 1.66 (1.40-1.96) and 1.39 (1.18-1.63) respectively. Homogeneity in the same score was evaluated by comparing subgroup survival curves. For scores 1-5, 83.3% (5/6), 57.1% (16/28), 24.4% (11/45), 3.6% (1/28) and 16.7% (1/6) pairs of survival curves significantly differed, respectively, with decreasing linear trend (P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Different prognostic weighting of four predictive factors caused intrascore heterogeneity. Lower CLIP scores were associated with increased differences in intrascore. In conclusion, the CLIP staging scoring system is a reasonable ordinal scale, but the clinician must be aware of the heterogeneity of mortality risk within a given score.
Lin
Chih-Yun
CY
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hepatogastroenterology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Kee
Kwong-Ming
KM
Wang
Jing-Houng
JH
Lee
Chuan-Mo
CM
Chen
Chao-Long
CL
Changchien
Chi-Sin
CS
Hu
Tsung-Hui
TH
Cheng
Yu-Fan
YF
Hsu
Hsuan-Chih
HC
Wang
Chih-Chi
CC
Chen
Tai-Yi
TY
Lu
Sheng-Nan
SN
D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013624:Taiwan