title: Potential of alpha-fetoprotein as a prognostic marker after curative radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is observed frequently, even after curative treatments. The aim of this study is to elucidate the risk factors for recurrence of HCC after radiofrequency ablation (RFA), focusing on the carcinogenic potential of the liver assessed by α-fetoprotein (AFP).
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 357 consecutive patients who underwent complete ablation by RFA for primary HCC (≤3 cm, ≤3 tumors) and analyzed the correlation between 17 critical parameters, including AFP and HCC recurrence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recurrence was observed in 236 patients during a mean observation period of 54.3 months. Multivariate analysis revealed that multiple tumors (risk ratio [RR] = 1.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.27-2.26, P < 0.001), high AFP (>10 ng/mL, RR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.09-1.94, P < 0.001) and high des-γ-carboxyprothrombin (>40 mAU/mL, RR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.13-2.02, P < 0.005) were significantly correlated with recurrence. AFP was selected as a significant factor even when the cut-off level was set lower (≤5 ng/mL). The risk of recurrence increased linearly according to the increase of the lowest AFP level after RFA and the adjusted ratios relative to AFP less than 5 ng/mL were 1.56, 2.14, 2.57 and 3.13 in AFP 5-10 ng/mL, 10-20 ng/mL, 20-50 ng/mL and over 50 ng/mL, respectively. In addition, the recurrence rate was predicted by the AFP level after RFA, regardless of the level before the treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AFP less than 5 ng/mL after curative RFA was an important predictor of a better prognosis and was considered to indicate the low carcinogenic potential of the non-cancerous liver.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Chihiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dohi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.|Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama City Hospital, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nouso
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyahara
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Nozomu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kinugasa
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuto
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuwaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Onishi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Fusao
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shiraha
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Akinobu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okada
keywords: alpha-fetoprotein; hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence; radiofrequency ablation