Outcomes Following Resection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the Absence of Cirrhosis.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occasionally occurs in non-cirrhotic patients; however, outcomes for these patients are not extensively documented. METHODS: We performed an institutional review of patients without cirrhosis who underwent resection for HCC. Clinical data were evaluated to identify factors impacting recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Forty-two patients underwent hepatectomy for HCC in the absence of cirrhosis over a 10-year period. Median follow-up was 22 months. For the entire cohort, 1-, 3-, and 5-year RFS was 62%, 42%, and 38% and 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS was 78%, 60%, and 49%, respectively. On univariate analysis, RFS was significantly worse for patients with a disrupted/absent tumor capsule (p = 0.027), vascular invasion (p = 0.030), elevated alkaline phosphatase (p = 0.004), and tumor size > 10 cm (p = 0.016). OS was significantly worse for patients with a disrupted/absent tumor capsule (p = 0.044), obesity (p = 0.036), and elevated alkaline phosphatase (p = 0.007) with a trend towards decreased OS for tumor size > 10 cm (p = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing resection for HCC in the absence of cirrhosis have fairly high recurrence and modest survival rates. Pre-operative alkaline phosphatase, tumor size, tumor encapsulation, and vascular invasion are important prognostic factors.