title: Role of the 1-month protocol transarterial chemoinfusion in detecting intrahepatic metastasis after resection of large hepatocellular carcinoma greater than 10 cm.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tumor recurrence is very common after hepatic resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ≥10 cm. The purpose of this study was to validate the prognostic significance of the preoperative alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level and early intrahepatic metastasis in HCC patients who underwent resection of large HCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical data of 100 large HCC patients who underwent liver resection were retrospectively reviewed. All of them underwent protocol transarterial chemoinfusion (TACI) at 1 month.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median tumor diameter was 13.8 cm, and 94% were single lesions. Systematic and non-systematic resections were performed in 91% and 9%, respectively, with R0 resection achieved in 84%. Overall 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 76%, 38.5%, and 30.4%, respectively. Univariate analyses on patient survival revealed that intrahepatic metastasis on 1-month protocol TACI was the only significant risk factor (p=0.002). Mean ALP values according to the intrahepatic metastasis on 1-month protocol TACI were 124.6±76.9 IU/L and 145.1±92.6 IU/L, which did not show a statistical difference (p=0.23).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with large HCC, 1-month protocol TACI combined with hepatic resection may contribute to the early detection and timely treatment of potentially preexisting metastatic lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hae-Na
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ki-Hun
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chul-Soo
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Deok-Bog
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Tae-Yong
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Gi-Won
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Joo
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Gyu
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; Intrahepatic metastasis; Recurrence; Transarterial chemoinfusion