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Clinicopathologic features of poorly differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma
Author(s) -
Oishi Koichi,
Itamoto Toshiyuki,
Amano Hironobu,
Fukuda Saburo,
Ohdan Hideki,
Tashiro Hirotaka,
Shimamoto Fumio,
Asahara Toshimasa
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of surgical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.201
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1096-9098
pISSN - 0022-4790
DOI - 10.1002/jso.20661
Subject(s) - medicine , hepatocellular carcinoma , hepatectomy , gastroenterology , metastasis , carcinoma , stage (stratigraphy) , alpha fetoprotein , pathology , oncology , cancer , surgery , resection , biology , paleontology
Background and Objectives Clinicopathologic features of poorly differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not been elucidated. The purpose of this study was to clarify the characteristics of poorly differentiated HCC in hepatectomized patients. Methods From 1986 to 2001, 354 HCC patients underwent curative hepatectomy in our institution and were prospectively followed. Histological examinations revealed 43 well‐differentiated HCC tumors, 273 moderately differentiated HCC tumors, and 38 poorly differentiated HCC tumors. Clinicopathologic factors and outcomes after hepatectomy were compared statistically. Results Only serum alpha‐fetoprotein level was significantly different in the poorly differentiated HCC group from that in the moderately differentiated HCC group preoperatively ( P = 0.0001). Although there were no significant differences between overall survival rates or between disease‐free survival rates in the three groups, distant metastasis within 2 years after hepatectomy occurred more frequently in the poorly differentiated HCC group (21%) than in the well‐differentiated HCC group (2%) ( P = 0.011) or moderately differentiated HCC group (8%) ( P = 0.018). Distant metastasis occurred in about 40% of patients in the poorly differentiated HCC group with tumor size greater than 3 cm. Conclusions Poorly differentiated HCC tumors larger than 3 cm are already of advanced stage representing distant metastasis in the early period after hepatectomy. J. Surg. Oncol. 2007;95:311–316. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.