Background: Tumor recurrence is very common after resection of huge hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study intended to evaluate early recurrence and long-term outcomes in patients with huge HCC ≥ 10 cm after primary resection and treatment of recurrence.
Methods: Recurrence and survival outcomes were retrospectively evaluated in 471 patients with huge HCCs who underwent resection between January 2000 and April 2012.
Results: Mean tumor diameter was 13.6 ± 3.1 cm, with 93 % of patients having single tumors. Anatomic and R0 resection rates were 91.1 and 89.4 %, respectively. Perioperative mortality rate was 1.7 %. Tumor recurrence and patient survival rates were 62.2 and 69.2 % at 1 year and 76.0 and 35.5 % at 5 years, respectively. Of patients with recurrence, 92.5 % received specific treatment. Median patient survival period after initial intrahepatic recurrence was 16 months. Tumor volume did not affect recurrence or survival outcomes. Independent risk factors for tumor recurrence and patient survival were serum alpha-fetoprotein ≥ 100 ng/mL, hypermetabolic uptake on positron emission tomography, satellite nodules, and microvascular invasion. These four factors were used to develop a risk prediction model, in which 1-year HCC recurrence rates in patients with 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 risk factors were 18.7, 30.3, 58.7, 79.0, and 92.1 %, respectively, and their 1-year patient survival rates were 100, 97.0, 75.5, 63.9, and 42.1 %, respectively.
Conclusions: In patients with huge HCCs, hepatic resection with active recurrence treatment resulted in improved long-term survival. Our 4-factor risk prediction model appears to contribute to quantitative postoperative risk estimation for early HCC recurrence and patient survival in patients with HCC ≥ 10 cm.