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Unique clinical characteristics of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who present with high plasma des‐γ‐carboxy prothrombin and low serum α‐fetoprotein
Author(s) -
Hamamura Keisuke,
Shiratori Yasushi,
Shiina Shuichiro,
Imamura Masatoshi,
Obi Shuntaro,
Sato Shinpei,
Yoshida Haruhiko,
Omata Masao
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(20000401)88:7<1557::aid-cncr9>3.0.co;2-g
Subject(s) - medicine , hepatocellular carcinoma , gastroenterology , alpha fetoprotein , clinical significance , tumor marker , pathology , cancer
BACKGROUND Although the importance of α‐fetoprotein (AFP) and des‐γ‐carboxy prothrombin (DCP) in the clinical treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been studied extensively, the authors examined the clinical picture of HCC with regard to the state of these two tumor markers. METHODS The authors categorized 237 HCC cases into 4 groups according to levels of AFP and DCP: high levels of AFP with low DCP levels, high DCP levels with low AFP levels, high levels of both tumor markers, and low levels of both tumor markers. Comparisons of survival rates were made among these groups using the Kaplan–Meier product limit method, and for other comparisons of clinical parameters the Fisher PSLD test was used. Prognostic significance was tested with the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS The cutoff values were set at 100 ng/mL for AFP and 0.0625 AU/mL for DCP. Forty‐eight patients (20.7%) had high levels of AFP and low levels of DCP, 22 (9.3%) had high DCP levels and low levels of AFP, 12 (4.6%) had high levels of both AFP and DCP, and 155 (65.4%) had low levels of both DCP and AFP. Patients with high levels of DCP but low levels of AFP were predominantly male and had large lesions but few nodules. Patients with high levels of both tumor markers had the most discouraging outcome observed in this study (death within 3 years). CONCLUSIONS Patients with high levels of DCP and low levels of AFP exhibited the unique clinical characteristic of large HCC nodules that were few in number. In addition, it was observed that measurement of both AFP and DCP can predict the survival of patients. Cancer 2000;88:1557–64. © 2000 American Cancer Society.