title: Obesity and microvascular invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We hypothesized that hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with higher Body Mass Index (BMI) might have more microvascular invasion (MVI) in their tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Records from 138 consecutive patients who underwent surgery at Columbia University Medical Center from January 1, 2002 to January 9, 2008 were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  40 patients (29%) had MVI, including 14% with BMI <25, 31% with BMI = 25-30, and 40% with BMI >30 (p = .05). However, only maximum alpha-fetoprotein was significantly associated with overall mortality in a Cox model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MVI was associated with obesity. A better understanding of the mechanism of this association may lead to interventions for the treatment and prevention of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA. aas54@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Abby B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Judith S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: Dawn L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Hershman
authors.forename: Emerson A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Jeanette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferrante
authors.forename: Kalpana M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Devaraj
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Remotti
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scrudato
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Halazun
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Emond
authors.forename: Lorna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dove
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Alfred I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Neugut
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000098:blood supply / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors