Background/aim: Poorly differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant phenotype following radiofrequency ablation, but not liver resection. This study aimed to identify prognostic parameters that could predict poorly differentiated HCC.
Patients and methods: Between 2007-2014, 158 HCC patients undergoing liver resection were enrolled that not the Milan criteria. Laboratory data were measured including three tumor markers and inflammatory factors (neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio, and monocyte/lymphocyte ratio. Preoperative parameters to predict poorly differentiated HCC were assessed by multivariate logistic regression analysis.
Results: Poorly differentiated HCC was observed in 28 (17.7%) patients. In multivariate analysis, two or three positive tumor markers and high NLR (≥2.33) were independent predictors of poorly differentiated HCC. Recurrence-free and overall survival were comparable despite these significant predictors.
Conclusion: The preoperative status of two or three positive tumor markers and high NLR facilitated selecting HCC patients with poorly differentiated disease, which will assist making therapeutic decisions for HCC patients.
Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR); poorly differentiated.
Copyright© 2018, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.