Korean J Hepatobiliary Pancreat Surg.  2015 Nov;19(4):154-160. 10.14701/kjhbps.2015.19.4.154.

The prognosis in cases of hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatectomy: young patients versus older patients

• Lee JS
• Kim JM
• Lee S
• Choi JY
• Cho W
• Choi GS
• Park JB
• Kwon CH
• Kim SJ
• Joh JW

• KMID: 2130967
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14701/kjhbps.2015.19.4.154

Abstract

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is uncommon in young adults and the prognosis of these patients is still unclear. In this retrospective study, we compared the clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of young patients with HCC with those of older patients with HCC.
METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the clinicopathological characteristics of a total of 1,124 patients with HCC who underwent hepatectomy at our institution between 2006 and 2010. Patients < or =40 years of age at the time of HCC diagnosis were classified in the younger group.
RESULTS
One hundred and three patients (9.2%) were classified in the younger group. whereas, 1021 patients were classified in the older group. The incidences of hepatitis B virus infection, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels, and indocyanine green retention test were all higher in younger patients than in older patients (p<0.05). Disease-free survival and overall survival were longer in older patients than in younger patients, without statistical significance. In younger patients, increased levels of protein induced by vitamin K antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) and alkaline phosphatase, portal vein tumor thrombosis, and intrahepatic metastasis were all predisposing factors for tumor recurrence after hepatectomy.
CONCLUSIONS
Although the AFP levels were higher in younger patients with HCC than in older patients with HCC, disease-free survival and overall survival after liver resection were not significantly different between the two groups.

Keyword

Hepatocellular carcinoma; Hepatectomy; Young age; Prognosis; Survival

MeSH Terms

Alkaline Phosphatase
alpha-Fetoproteins
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular*
Causality
Diagnosis
Disease-Free Survival
Hepatectomy*
Hepatitis B virus
Humans
Incidence
Indocyanine Green
Liver
Neoplasm Metastasis
Portal Vein
Prognosis*
Recurrence
Retrospective Studies
Thrombosis
Vitamin K
Young Adult
Alkaline Phosphatase
Indocyanine Green
Vitamin K
alpha-Fetoproteins

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 (A) Disease-free survival and (B) overall survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent hepatic resection.

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