Prognostic factors in resected hepatocellular carcinomas and therapeutic value of transcatheter arterial embolization for recurrences.

The authors summarize the results of patients who had hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) over a 16-year period. Survival rates for 52 patients with HCC classified according to the Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan were calculated according to various clinicopathological variables. A univariable analysis revealed that alpha-fetoprotein > or =2000 ng/ml, portal involvement, tumor size > or =3.1 cm, and noncurative resection were associated with unfavorable outcomes, while neither the number of tumors nor underlying cirrhosis was associated with such outcomes. Furthermore, some of the patients with recurrence survived long after transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) for recurrent tumors. Early detection as well as TAE for recurrent HCCs is necessary to improve long-term survival.