Objective: To study the developmental and clinicopathological characteristics of liver tumors in China.
Methods: Routine methods were utilized to analyse the composition and clinicopathological features of 3,160 cases of liver tumors which were surgically resected during a period of 14 years.
Results: 25 types of liver tumors arising from three germinal layers were studied. Tumor-like lesions, 4 types, 112 cases (3.5%); benign tumors, 10 types, 499 cases (15.8%); malignant tumors, 11 types, 2,549 cases (80.7%). Of the three groups, the most common being inflammatory pseudotumors, accounting for 73.2% of tumor-like lesions, cavernous hemangioma, accounting for 74.3% of benign tumors and hepatocellular carcinoma, accounting for 96.8% of malignant tumors respectively. The association of cirrhosis in small hepatocellular carcinoma (< 3 cm) was as high as 83.2%.
Conclusion: A close relationship between HBV, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma exists.