title: Underweight patients show an increased rate of postoperative death after surgery for hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the influence of body mass index (BMI) on postoperative death in patients undergoing surgery for HCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred forty-two patients were enrolled, and divided into three groups: Group A, BMI <22.5; Group B, BMI ≥22.5 to <25; Group C, BMI ≥25. Univariate and multivariate analyses of postoperative death were performed to compare BMI with clinical factors. Kaplan-Meier analysis and log rank test were used to compare such outcome in Groups A, B, and C.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Kaplan-Meier analysis and log rank test revealed that Group A had a higher rate of postoperative death than Group B or C (P = 0.010). Univariate and multivariate analyses selected being underweight (Group B, C/Group A) (odds ratio, 1.829; 95% C.I., 1.091-3.068; P = 0.022) as one of the factors predictive of postoperative death, together with aspartate aminotransferase level (P = 0.042) and HCC growth pattern (P = 0.032).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BMI is a simple but important predictor of postoperative death in patients undergoing surgery for HCC, and is able to classify such patients into three independent groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Dokkyo Medical University, Mibu, Tochigi, Japan. mm-ishizuka@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishizuka
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kita
authors.forename: Mitsugi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimoda
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Tokihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sawada
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013851:Thinness