Stratifying risk of failure to achieve textbook outcomes among patients undergoing hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma: A multicenter score validation study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The concept of textbook outcomes (TOs) has gained increased attention as a critical metric to assess the quality and success of outcomes following complex surgery. A simple yet effective scoring system was developed and validated to predict risk of not achieving textbook outcomes (non-TOs) following hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Using a multicenter prospectively collected database, risk factors associated with non-TO among patients who underwent hepatectomy for HCC were identified. A predictive scoring system based on factors identified from multivariate regression analysis was used to risk stratify patients relative to non-TO. The score was developed using 70 % of the overall cohort and validated in the remaining 30 %. RESULTS: Among 3681 patients, 1458 (39.6 %) failied to experience a TO. Based on the derivation cohort, obesity, American Society of Anaesthesiologists score(ASA score), Child-Pugh grade, tumor size, and extent of hepatectomy were identified as independent predictors of non-TO. The scoring system ranged from 0 to 10 points. Patients were categorized into low (0-3 points), intermediate (4-6 points), and high risk (7-10 points) of non-TO. In the validation cohort, the predicted risk of developing non-TOs was 39.0 %, which closely matched the observed risk of 39.9 %. There were no differences among the predicted and observed risks within the different risk categories. CONCLUSIONS: A novel scoring system was able to predict risk of non-TO accurately following hepatectomy for HCC. The score may enable early identification of individuals at risk of adverse outcomes and inform surgical decision-making, and quality improvement initiatives.

Association of Pringle maneuver with postoperative recurrence and survival following hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma: a multicenter propensity score and competing-risks regression analysis.

Background: The application of Pringle maneuver (PM) during hepatectomy reduces intraoperative blood loss and the need for perioperative transfusion, but its effect on long-term recurrence and survival for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial. We sought to determine the association between the application of PM and post-hepatectomy oncologic outcomes for patients with HCC. Methods: Patients who underwent curative hepatectomy for HCC at 9 Chinese hospitals from January 2010 to December 2018 were identified. Using two propensity score methods [propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weight (IPTW)], cumulative recurrence rate and cancer-specific mortality (CSM) were compared between the patients in the PM and non-PM groups. Multivariate competing-risks regression models were performed to adjust for the effect of non-cancer-specific mortality and other prognostic risk factors. Results: Of the 2,798 included patients, 2,404 and 394 did and did not adopt PM (the PM and non-PM groups), respectively. The rates of intraoperative blood transfusion, postoperative 30-day mortality and morbidity were comparable between the two groups (all P>0.05). In the PSM cohort by the 1:3 ratio, compared to 382 patients in the non-PM group, 1,146 patients in the PM group also had the higher cumulative 5-year recurrence rate and CSM (63.9% and 39.1% vs. 55.3% and 31.6%, both P<0.05). Similar results were also yielded in the entire cohort and the IPTW cohort. Multivariate competing-risks regression analyses demonstrated that no application of the PM was independently associated with lower recurrence rate and CSM based on various analytical cohorts [hazard ratio (HR), 0.82 and 0.77 in the adjusted entire cohort, HR 0.80 and 0.73 in the PSM cohort, and HR 0.80 and 0.76 in the IPTW cohort, respectively]. Conclusions: The findings suggested that no application of PM during hepatectomy for patients with HCC reduced the risk of postoperative recurrence and cancer-specific death by approximately 20-25%.

The Barthel Index predicts surgical textbook outcomes following hepatectomy for elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: A multicenter cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The burgeoning demand for hepatectomy in elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) necessitates improved perioperative care. Geriatric populations frequently experience functional decline and frailty, predisposing them to adverse postoperative outcomes. The Barthel Index serves as a reliable measure for assessing functional capacity, and this study evaluates its impact on surgical textbook outcomes (TOs) in elderly HCC patients. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective cohort study analyzed elderly patients (≥70 years) following hepatectomy for HCC between 2013 and 2021. Utilizing a Barthel Index cut-off value of 85, patients were divided into two groups: with and without preoperative functional decline and frailty. The primary outcome was the rate of TO, encompassing seven criteria. TO rates were compared between groups, and multivariate logistic regression analyses identified independent risks for achieving TOs. RESULTS: Of 497 elderly patients, 157 (31.6 â€‹%) exhibited preoperative functional decline and frailty (Barthel Index score <85). The overall TO rate was 58.6 â€‹%. Patients with preoperative Barthel Index score <85 had significantly lower TO rates compared to patients with score ≥85 (29.3 â€‹% vs. 72.1 â€‹%, P â€‹< â€‹0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed preoperative Barthel Index score <85 as an independent risk for achieving TO (odds ratio 3.413, 95 â€‹% confidence interval 1.879-6.198, P â€‹< â€‹0.001). Comparable results were observed in the subgroups of patients undergoing open and laparoscopic hepatectomy. CONCLUSION: Preoperative Barthel Index-based assessment of functional decline and frailty significantly predicts TOs following hepatectomy in elderly HCC patients, enabling identification of high-risk patients and informing preoperative management and postoperative care within geriatric oncology.

In-Situ Cyclized Polyacrylonitrile as an Electron Selective Layer for n-i-p Perovskite Solar Cell with Enhanced Efficiency and Stability.

In situ cyclized polyacrylonitrile (CPAN) is developed to replace n-type metal oxide semiconductors (TiO2 or SnO2) as an electron selective layer (ESL) for highly efficient and stable n-i-p perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The CPAN layer is fabricated via facile in situ cyclization reaction of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) coated on a conducting glass substrate. The CPAN layer is robust and insoluble in common solvents, and possesses n-type semiconductor properties with a high electron mobility of 4.13×10-3 cm2 V-1 s-1. With the CPAN as an ESL, the PSC affords a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.12 %, which is the highest for the n-i-p PSCs with organic ESLs. Moreover, the device with the CPAN layer holds superior operational stability, maintaining over 90 % of their initial efficiency after 500 h continuous light soaking. These results confirm that the CPAN layer would be a desirable low-cost and efficient ESL for n-i-p PSCs and other photoelectronic devices with high performance and stability.

Development and validation of prealbumin-bilirubin score (preALBI score) for predicting long-term survival after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma: A multicenter analysis versus ALBI score.

BACKGROUND: The Albumin-Bilirubin (ALBI) score, widely used in predicting long-term prognosis for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), has limitations due to serum albumin variability. This study aimed to develop and validate the Prealbumin-Bilirubin (preALBI) score as a reliable alternative. METHODS: A multicenter cohort of HCC patients who underwent hepatectomy was randomly divided into the training and validation cohorts. The preALBI score was developed using Cox regression models within the training cohort, incorporating serum prealbumin and bilirubin levels as crucial determinants. The survival predictive accuracy was evaluated and compared between the preALBI score with two other staging systems, including the ALBI score and the Child-Pugh grade. RESULTS: A total of 2409 patients were enrolled. In the training cohort, the preALBI score demonstrated superior performance in predicting long-term survival after hepatectomy. The preALBI score was associated with the best monotonicity of gradients (linear trend χ2: 72.84) and homogeneity (likelihood ratio χ2: 74.69), and the highest discriminatory ability (the areas under curves for 1-, 3-, and 5-year mortality: 0.663, 0.654, and 0.644, respectively). In addition, the preALBI was the most informative staging system in predicting survival (Akaike information criterion: 11325.65).The results remained consistent in both training and validation cohorts, indicating its reliable performance across different populations. CONCLUSION: The preALBI score, leveraging the stability of prealbumin, represents a promising tool for better patient stratification, providing more accurate prognostic predictions than the ALBI score and the Child-Pugh grade.

Impact of Hepatic Pedicle Clamping on Long-Term Survival Following Hepatectomy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Stratified Analysis Based on Intraoperative Blood Transfusion Status.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic pedicle clamping (HPC) is frequently utilized during hepatectomy to reduce intraoperative bleeding and diminish the need for intraoperative blood transfusion (IBT). The long-term prognostic implications of HPC following hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain under debate. This study aims to elucidate the association between HPC and oncologic outcomes after HCC resection, stratified by whether IBT was administered. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prospectively collected data on patients with HCC who underwent curative resection from a multicenter database was studied. Patients were stratified into two cohorts on the basis of whether IBT was administered. The impact of HPC on long-term overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) between the two cohorts was assessed by univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: Of 3362 patients, 535 received IBT. In the IBT cohort, using or not using HPC showed no significant difference in OS and RFS outcomes (5-year OS and RFS rates 27.9% vs. 24.6% and 13.8% vs. 12.0%, P = 0.810 and 0.530). However, in the non-IBT cohort of 2827 patients, the HPC subgroup demonstrated significantly decreased OS (5-year 45.9% vs. 56.5%, P < 0.001) and RFS (5-year 24.7% vs. 33.3%, P < 0.001) when compared with the subgroup without HPC. Multivariable Cox regression analysis identified HPC as an independent risk factor of OS and RFS [hazard ratios (HR) 1.16 and 1.12, P = 0.024 and 0.044, respectively] among patients who did not receive IBT. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of HPC on the oncological outcomes following hepatectomy for patients with HCC differed significantly whether IBT was administered, and HPC adversely impacted on long-term survival for patients without receiving IBT during hepatectomy.

Association of tumor morphology with long-term prognosis after liver resection for patients with a solitary huge hepatocellular carcinoma-a multicenter propensity score matching analysis.

Background: A solitary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) without macrovascular invasion and distant metastasis, regardless of tumor size, is currently classified as early-stage disease by the latest Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system. While the preferred treatment is surgical resection, the association of tumor morphology with long-term survival outcomes after liver resection for a solitary huge HCC of ≥10 cm has not been defined. Methods: Patients who underwent curative liver resection for a solitary huge HCC were identified from a multicenter database. Preoperative imaging findings were used to define spherical- or ellipsoidal-shaped lesions with smooth edges as balloon-shaped HCCs (BS-HCCs); out-of-shape lesions or lesions of any shape with matt edges were defined as non-balloon-shaped HCCs (NBS-HCCs). The two groups of patients with BS-HCCs and NBS-HCCs were matched in a 1:1 ratio using propensity score matching (PSM). Clinicopathologic characteristics, long-term overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were assessed. Results: Among patients with a solitary huge HCC, 74 pairs of patients with BS-HCC and NBS-HCC were matched. Tumor pathological features including proportions of microvascular invasion, satellite nodules, and incomplete tumor encapsulation in the BS-HCC group were lower than the NBS-HCC group. At a median follow-up of 50.7 months, median OS and RFS of all patients with a solitary huge HCC after PSM were 27.8 and 10.1 months, respectively. The BS-HCC group had better median OS and RFS than the NBS-HCC group (31.9 vs. 21.0 months, P=0.01; and 19.7 vs. 6.4 months, P=0.015). Multivariate analyses identified BS-HCC as independently associated with better OS (HR =0.592, P=0.009) and RFS (HR =0.633, P=0.013). Conclusions: For a solitary huge HCC, preoperative imaging on tumor morphology was associated with prognosis following resection. In particular, patients with BS-HCCs had better long-term survival following liver resection versus patients with large NBS-HCCs.

Predictors and long-term prognosis of early and late recurrence for patients undergoing hepatic resection of hepatocellular carcinoma: a large-scale multicenter study.

Background: Recurrence is common among patients undergoing hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which greatly limits long-term survival. We aimed to identify predictors and long-term prognosis of early and late recurrence after HCC resection. Methods: Multicenter data of patients who underwent HCC resection between 2002 and 2016 were analyzed. Recurrence was divided into early (≤2 years) and late recurrence (>2 years after surgery). Predictors of early and late recurrence, and prognostic factors of post-recurrence survival (PRS) were identified by univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Among 1,426 patients, 554 (38.8%) and 348 (24.4%) developed early and late recurrence, respectively. Independent predictors associated with early recurrence included preoperative alpha-fetoprotein level >400 µg/L, resection margin <1 cm, and tumor size >5.0 cm, multiplicity, macrovascular and microvascular invasion, and satellites of the initial tumor at the first diagnosis of HCC; independent predictors associated with late recurrence included male, cirrhosis, and tumor size >5.0 cm, multiplicity, macrovascular and microvascular invasion, and satellites of the initial tumor. Patients with early recurrence had a lower likelihood of undergoing potentially curative treatments for recurrence (37.2% vs. 48.0%, P<0.001) and a worse median PRS (13.5 vs. 36.6 months, P<0.001) vs. patients who had late recurrence. Multivariate analysis revealed that early recurrence and irregular postoperative surveillance were independently associated with worse PRS [hazard ratio (HR) =1.250, 95% CI: 1.016-1.538, P=0.035; and HR =1.983, 95% CI: 1.677-2.345, P<0.001]. Conclusions: Predictors associated with early and late recurrence after curative resection for patients with HCC were generally same, although several did differ. Patients with late recurrence had better long-term survival than patients with early recurrence.

Postoperative infectious complications following laparoscopic versus open hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma: a multicenter propensity score analysis of 3876 patients.

OBJECTIVES: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common indication for hepatectomy that is often complicated by postoperative complication. The authors sought to investigate the relationship between the open with laparoscopic approach of hepatectomy and incidences of postoperative infectious complications. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Using a multicenter database, HCC patients who underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) or open hepatectomy (OH) were reviewed and analyzed. Propensity score matching (PSM), inverse probability of treatment weight (IPTW), and multivariate logistic regression analyses were utilized to assess the association of the operative approach with postoperative infectious complications, including incisional surgical site infection (SSI), organ/space SSI, and remote infection (RI). RESULTS: Among 3876 patients, 845 (21.8%) and 3031 (78.2%) patients underwent LH and OH, respectively. The overall incidence of infection was 6.9 versus 14.6% among patients who underwent LH versus OH, respectively ( P <0.001). Of note, the incidences of incisional SSI (1.8 vs. 6.3%, P <0.001), organ/space SSI (1.8 vs. 4.6%, P <0.001), and RI (3.8 vs. 9.8%, P <0.001) were all significantly lower among patients who underwent LH versus OH. After PSM (6.9, 1.8, 1.8, and 3.8% vs. 18.5, 8.4, 5.2, and 12.8%, respectively) and IPTW (9.5, 2.3, 2.1, and 5.5% vs. 14.3, 6.3, 4.5, and 9.8%, respectively), LH remained associated with statistically lower incidences of all types of infectious complications. After adjustment for other confounding factors on multivariate analyses, LH remained independently associated with lower incidences of overall infection, incisional SSI, organ/space SSI, and RI in the overall, PSM, and IPTW cohorts, respectively. CONCLUSION: Compared with open approach, laparoscopic approach was independently associated with lower incidences of postoperative infectious complications following hepatectomy for HCC.

Facile Dimension Transformation Strategy for Fabrication of Efficient and Stable CsPbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells.

All-inorganic cesium lead triiodide (CsPbI3) perovskite has received increasing attention due to its intrinsic thermal stability and suitable band gap for photovoltaic applications. However, it is difficult to deposit high-quality pure-phase CsPbI3 films using CsI and PbI2 as precursors due to the rapid nucleation and crystal growth by the solution coating method. Here, a simple cation-exchange approach is employed to fabricate all-inorganic 3D CsPbI3 perovskite, where 1D ethylammonium lead (EAPbI3) perovskite is first solution-deposited and then transformed to 3D CsPbI3 via ion exchange between EA+ and Cs+ during thermal annealing. The large space between the PbI3- skeletons in 1D EAPbI3 favors the cation interdiffusion and exchange for the formation of pure-phase 3D CsPbI3 with full compactness and high crystallinity and orientation. The resulting CsPbI3 film exhibits a low trap density of state and high charge mobility, and the perovskite solar cell shows a power-conversion efficiency of 18.2% with enhanced stability. This strategy provides an alternative and promising fabrication route for the fabrication of high-quality all-inorganic perovskite devices.

Association of Concurrent Metabolic Syndrome with Long-term Oncological Prognosis Following Liver Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Among Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection: A Multicenter Study of 1753 Patients.

BACKGROUND: Although hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains the main cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide, metabolic syndrome, with its increase in prevalence, has become an important and significant risk factor for HCC. This study was designed to investigate the association of concurrent metabolic syndrome with long-term prognosis following liver resection for patients with HBV-related HCC. METHODS: From a Chinese, multicenter database, HBV-infected patients who underwent curative resection for HCC between 2010 and 2020 were identified. Long-term oncological prognosis, including overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and early (≤2 years of surgery) and late (>2 years) recurrences were compared between patients with versus those without concurrent metabolic syndrome. RESULTS: Of 1753 patients, 163 (9.3%) patients had concurrent metabolic syndrome. Compared with patients without metabolic syndrome, patients with metabolic syndrome had poorer 5-year OS (47.5% vs. 61.0%; P = 0.010) and RFS (28.3% vs. 44.2%; P = 0.003) rates and a higher 5-year overall recurrence rate (67.3% vs. 53.3%; P = 0.024). Multivariate analysis revealed that concurrent metabolic syndrome was independently associated with poorer OS (hazard ratio: 1.300; 95% confidence interval: 1.018-1.660; P = 0.036) and RFS (1.314; 1.062-1.627; P = 0.012) rates, and increased rates of late recurrence (hazard ratio: 1.470; 95% confidence interval: 1.004-2.151; P = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS: In HBV-infected patients with HCC, concurrent metabolic syndrome was associated with poorer postoperative long-term oncologic survival outcomes. These results suggested that patients with metabolic syndrome should undergo enhanced surveillance for tumor recurrence even after 2 years of surgery to early detect late HCC recurrence. Whether improving metabolic syndrome can reduce postoperative recurrence of HCC deserves further exploration.

Prospective validation of the Eastern Staging in predicting survival after surgical resection for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a multicenter study from China.

BACKGROUND: The Eastern Staging System, which was specially developed for patients undergoing surgical resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), has been proposed for more than ten years. To prospectively validate the predictive accuracy of the Eastern staging on long-term survival after HCC resection. METHODS: Patients who underwent hepatectomy for HCC from 2011 to 2020 at 10 Chinese hospitals were identified from a prospectively collected database. The survival predictive accuracy was evaluated and compared between the Eastern Staging with six other staging systems, including the JIS, BCLC, Okuda, CLIP, 8th AJCC TNM, and HKLC staging. RESULTS: Among 2365 patients, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 84.2%, 64.5%, and 52.6%, respectively. Among these seven staging systems, the Eastern staging was associated with the best monotonicity of gradients (linear trend χ2: 408.5) and homogeneity (likelihood ratio χ2: 447.3), and the highest discriminatory ability (the areas under curves for 1-, 3-, and 5-year mortality: 0.776, 0.787, and 0.768, respectively). In addition, the Eastern staging was the most informative staging system in predicting survival (Akaike information criterion: 2982.33). CONCLUSION: Using a large multicenter prospectively collected database, the Eastern Staging was found to show the best predictive accuracy on long-term overall survival in patients with resectable HCC than the other 6 commonly-used staging systems.

Development and validation of safety and efficacy-associated risk calculator for hepatocellular carcinoma in the elderly after resection (SEARCHER): A multi-institutional observational study.

BACKGROUND: Increased life expectancy and improved perioperative management have resulted in increased utilization of hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among elderly patients. However, individualized model for predicting the surgical safety and efficacy is lacking. The present study aimed to develop a safety and efficacy-associated risk calculator for HCC in the elderly after resection (SEARCHER). METHODS: From an international multicenter database, elderly patients who underwent curative-intent hepatectomy for HCC were stratified by patient age: 65-69 years, 70-74 years, 75-79 years, and ≥80 years. Short- and long-term outcomes among the 4 groups were compared. Univariate and multivariate analyses of risk factors of postoperative major morbidity, cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) were performed in the training cohort. A nomogram-based online calculator was then constructed and validated in the validation cohort. RESULTS: With increasing age, the risk of postoperative major morbidity and worse OS increased (P = 0.001 and 0.020), but not postoperative mortality and CSS (P = 0.577 and 0.890) among patients across the 4 groups. Based on three nomograms to predict major morbidity, CSS and OS, the SEARCHER model was constructed and made available at https://elderlyhcc.shinyapps.io/SEARCHER. The model demonstrated excellent calibration and optimal performance in both the training and validation cohorts, and performed better than the several commonly-used conventional scoring and staging systems of HCC. CONCLUSIONS: With higher potential postoperative major morbidity and worse OS as patients age, the decision of whether to perform a hepatectomy for HCC needs to be comprehensively considered in the elderly. The proposed SEARCHER model demonstrated good performance to individually predict safety and efficacy of hepatectomy in elderly patients with HCC.

Vacuum-Assisted Thermal Annealing of CsPbI3 for Highly Stable and Efficient Inorganic Perovskite Solar Cells.

Inorganic cesium lead iodide perovskite CsPbI3 is attracting great attention as a light absorber for single or multi-junction photovoltaics due to its outstanding thermal stability and proper band gap. However, the device performance of CsPbI3 -based perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is limited by the unsatisfactory crystal quality and thus severe non-radiative recombination. Here, vacuum-assisted thermal annealing (VATA) is demonstrated as an effective approach for controlling the morphology and crystallinity of the CsPbI3 perovskite films formed from the precursors of PbI2 , CsI, and dimethylammonium iodide (DMAI). By this method, a large-area and high-quality CsPbI3 film is obtained, exhibiting a much reduced trap-state density with prolonged charge lifetime. Consequently, the solar cell efficiency is raised from 17.26 to 20.06 %, along with enhanced stability. The VATA would be an effective approach for fabricating high-performance thin-film CsPbI3 perovskite optoelectronics.

Association of Preoperative Body Mass Index with Surgical Textbook Outcomes Following Hepatectomy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Multicenter Study of 1206 Patients.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of quality in the perioperative period is critical to ensure good patient care. Textbook outcomes (TO) have been proposed to combine several parameters into a single defined quality metric. The association of preoperative body mass index (BMI) with incidences of achieving or not achieving TO (non-TO) among patients undergoing hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was characterized. METHODS: Patients who underwent curative-intent hepatectomy for HCC between 2015 and 2018 were identified from a multicenter database. These patients were divided into three groups based on preoperative BMI: low-BMI (≤ 18.4 kg/m2), normal-BMI (18.5-24.9 kg/m2), and high-BMI (≥ 25.0 kg/m2). The incidences of non-TO among these three groups were compared. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify whether there was any independent association between preoperative BMI and non-TO. RESULTS: Among 1206 patients, 100 (8.3%), 660 (54.7%), and 446 (37.0%) were in the low-BMI, normal-BMI, and high-BMI groups, respectively. The incidence of non-TO was 65.6% in the whole cohort. The incidence of non-TO was significantly higher among patients in the low- and high-BMI cohorts versus the normal-BMI cohort (75.0% and 74.7% versus 58.0%, both P < 0.01). After adjustment of other confounding factors on multivariate analysis, low-BMI and high-BMI were independently associated with higher incidences of non-TO compared with normal-BMI (OR: 1.98 and 2.27, both P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Two out of three patients did not achieve TO after hepatectomy for HCC. Both preoperative low-BMI and high-BMI were independently associated with lower odds to achieve optimal TO following HCC resection.

Clinical Features of Recurrence After Hepatic Resection for Early-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Long-Term Survival Outcomes of Patients with Recurrence: A Multi-institutional Analysis.

BACKGROUND: A potentially curative hepatic resection is the optimal treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but most HCCs, even at an early stage, eventually recur after resection. This study investigates clinical features of initial recurrence and long-term prognosis of patients with recurrence after curative resection for early-stage HCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From a multicenter database, patients who underwent curative hepatic resection for early-stage HCC [Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage 0/A] were extracted. Time to initial recurrence, patterns of initial recurrence, and treatment modalities for recurrent tumors were investigated. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to identify independent risks associated with postoperative recurrence, as well as post-recurrence survival (PRS) for patients with recurrence. RESULTS: Among 1424 patients, 679 (47.7%) developed recurrence at a median follow-up of 54.8 months, including 408 (60.1%) early recurrence (≤ 2 years after surgery) and 271 (39.9%) late recurrence (> 2 years). Independent risks of postoperative recurrence included cirrhosis, preoperative alpha-fetoprotein level > 400 ug/L, tumor size > 5 cm, multiple tumors, satellites, microvascular invasion, and intraoperative blood transfusion. Multivariate analysis revealed that receiving irregular recurrence surveillance, initial tumor beyond Milan criteria, early recurrence, BCLC stage B/C of the recurrent tumor, and noncurative treatments were independently associated with poorer PRS. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly half of patients with early-stage HCC experienced recurrence after resection. Understanding recurrence risks may help identify patients at high risk of recurrence who may benefit from future adjuvant therapies. Meaningful survival even after recurrence can still be achieved by postoperative regular surveillance and curative treatment.