Hepatocellular carcinoma in the non-cirrhotic liver: a comparison with that complicating cirrhosis.

The clinicopathological features of 50 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma arising in a non-cirrhotic liver are described and compared with those of 100 patients in whom the tumour arose as a complication of cirrhosis. The non-cirrhotic patients were significantly younger, more often female and had a less strong association with serum markers of hepatitis B virus infection. Liver function tests and serum AFP were less often abnormal and survival was significantly better than in the cirrhotic group. The different aetiological factors, clinical features and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma arising in the non-cirrhotic liver compared to the more common form of hepatocellular carcinoma which complicates cirrhosis justifies detailed investigation by liver biopsy and other techniques.