Etiologic factors and clinical features in small hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Etiologic factors and clinical features were studied in four hundred and fifty three patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) of which 156 had small HCC less than 3cm in diameter.
Patients with small HCC showed low incidence of HB positive (serum HBs-antigen is positive or HBc-antibody is positive in 1:200 dilution serum), high incidence of alcohol abuse and severe damage of liver function. Ultrasonography could discover small HCCs in high rate of success, whereas serum α-fetoprotein (AFP) was normal in 37.8%, and over 200ng/ml only in 17% of them. Patients with small HCC below 2cm showed good prognosis which was 58% in rate of 3-year survival. HCC patients with the HB positive were significantly related to mild liver damage, whereas those with alcohol abuse were to severe liver damage, low incidence of AFP elevation and good prognosis.
It was strongly suggested that those with alcohol abuse had a close relationship with infection of non-B hepatitis virus through the injection of stimulant drugs or the tatoo.
In patients with liver cirrhosis, the HB positive was not stastically significant in inducing HCC in comparison with the other etiologic factors