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Clinical classification of hepatoma in Japan according to serial changes in serum alpha‐fetoprotein levels
Author(s) -
Matsumoto Yoshiro,
Suzuki Takashi,
Asada Isam,
Ozawa Kazue,
Tobe Takayoshi,
Honjo Ichio
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19820115)49:2<354::aid-cncr2820490224>3.0.co;2-j
Subject(s) - medicine , gastroenterology , carcinoma , group a , alpha fetoprotein , group b , hepatocellular carcinoma
Quantitative determinations of serum alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) in 96 patients with hepatomas have demonstrated three main groups based on changes in the serial levels: 1) patients with more than 10 000 ng/ml during most of their clinical course, and with an increase of 10 000 ng/ml or more in a week (Group A); 2) patients with levels varying from 200 to 10 000 ng/ml and with an increase of 1000 ng/ ml in three to four months (Group B); and 3) patients with serum AFP levels below 200 ng/ml during most of their clinical course (Group C). The patients in Group A had a mean survival time of 7.62 ± 3.97 months, and those in Group B, 16.18 ± 12.18 months. The patients in Group C were subdivided into two groups according to whether survival time was long (33.92 ± 28.22 months) or short (3.75 ± 0.87 months). Histologic findings revealed poorly differentiated carcinoma in patients in Group A, moderately differentiated carcinoma in those in Group B, and well differentiated carcinoma in those with long survival in Group C and anaplastic carcinoma in those with short survival in Group C.