Background: The long-term prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after hepatic resection (HR) remains poor because of limited liver function and frequent recurrences. We created a prognostic system of HCC based on tumor markers and Child-Pugh classification.
Patients and methods: This study investigated 427 HCC patients and three tumor markers (alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of AFP (AFP-L3), des-γ -carboxyprothrombin (DCP)) in relation to Child-Pugh classification by the stepwise Cox regression model for establishing a tumor marker staging (TMS).
Results: The TMS shows four levels (0/1/2/3) with 5-year recurrence rate of each stage of 76.7, 72.3, 80.9 and 100%, respectively, and 5-year overall survival of 77.0, 68.7, 52.1 and 28.9%, respectively. This TMS appears to be a better model to predict the recurrence and survival of HCC patients after hepatectomy than only the number of positive tumor markers.
Conclusion: TMS is a useful staging system to evaluate biological status and background liver function.
Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of AFP (AFP-L3); alpha-fetoprotein (AFP); des-γ-carboxyprothrombin (DCP); tumor marker.
Copyright© 2015 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.