Clinicopathologic Study on Clear Cell Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Kang, Min Kwan; Lee, Hyuk Joon; Chang, Sung Hwan; Choi, Seok Ho; Suh, Kyung Suk; Lee, Kuhn Uk

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Clear cell hepatocelluar carcinoma (CHCC) is a well defined type of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in which a large number of tumor cells have clear cytoplasm that is not stained by hematoxylin and eosin stain. It is generally reported that CHCC has a favorable prognosis compared with that of conventional non-CHCC.1 The reasons for the better prognosis are not clear. To date the clinicopathologic features of CHCC of the liver have not been fully elucidated. In the present study we compared the clinicopathologic features of 56 cases of CHCC with those of 479 cases of non-CHCC and report here hoping to further understanding of CHCC.
METHODS
535 consecutive cases that were curatively resected from Jan. 1992 to Dec. 1997 in Seoul National University Hospital were reviewed. The cases were divided into clear cell HCC (56 cases) and non-clear cell HCC (479 cases). Clinical and pathological findings were compared between two groups.
RESULTS
Clinically there is no significant difference in sex < age, preoperative liver function, the association rate with liver cirrhosis, the extent of resection. Pathologically there is no significant difference in tumor size, capsule formation, portal vein invasion, the differentiation of tumor. Three- and five- year survival rates of clear cell HCC were 55.3%, 42.8%, respectively, lower than the finding of 68.4%, 54.4% for non-clear cell HCC. But there is no significant difference in prognosis between both groups (p=0.13). The multiplicity rate (tumor number> or =2) of clear cell HCC was 3.8% (2/56), lower than the finding of 13.1% (62/479) for non-clear cell HCC. (p<0.05)
CONCLUSION
It was concluded that clear cell HCC has no significant difference in clinicopathologic features except tumor number.