title: Advantage of autologous blood transfusion in surgery for hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the significance of autologous blood transfusion (AT) in reducing homologous blood transfusion (HT) in surgery for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  The proportion of patients who received HT was compared between two groups determined by the time of AT introduction; period A (1991-1994, n = 93) and period B (1995-2000, n = 201). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed in order to identify independent significant predictors of the need for HT. We also investigated the impact of AT and HT on long-term postoperative outcome after curative surgery for HCC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proportion of patients with HT was significantly lower in period B than period A (18.9% vs 60.2%, P < 0.0001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified AT administration as a significant independent predictor of the need for HT (P < 0.0001). Disease-free survival in patients with AT was comparable to that without any transfusion. Multivariate analysis identified HT administration as an independent significant factor for poorer disease-free survival (P = 0.0380).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AT administration significantly decreased the need for HT. Considering the postoperative survival disadvantage of HT, AT administration could improve the long-term outcome of HCC patients.
authors: Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita 565-0871, Osaka, Japan.
authors: Yoshito
authors: Y
authors: Tomimaru
authors: Hidetoshi
authors: H
authors: Eguchi
authors: Shigeru
authors: S
authors: Marubashi
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Wada
authors: Shogo
authors: S
authors: Kobayashi
authors: Masahiro
authors: M
authors: Tanemura
authors: Koji
authors: K
authors: Umeshita
authors: Yuichiro
authors: Y
authors: Doki
authors: Masaki
authors: M
authors: Mori
authors: Hiroaki
authors: H
authors: Nagano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001804:Blood Transfusion, Autologous; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000601:surgery*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome