Survival rate in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective analysis of 389 patients

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide. However, treatment options are limited and often inefficient. The aim of this study was to determine current survival rates for patients diagnosed with HCC and to identify prognostic factors, which will help in choosing optimal therapies for individual patients. A retrospective analysis of medical records was performed on 389 patients who were identified through the central tumour registry at our institution from 1998 to 2003. Clinical parameters, treatments received and survival curves from time of diagnosis were analysed. Overall median survival was 11 months. Liver cirrhosis was diagnosed in 80.5% of all patients. A total of 170 patients received transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) and/or percutaneous ethanol injections (PEI) with a median survival rate of 16 months for patients receiving TACE, 11 months for patients receiving PEI and 24 months for patients receiving TACE followed by PEI. Independent negative prognostic parameters for survival were the presence of portal vein thrombosis, advanced liver cirrhosis (Child -Pugh score B or C) and a score of 42. This study will help to estimate survival rates for patients with HCC according to their clinical status at diagnosis and the treatments received.

Surveillance of cirrhosis for hepatocellular carcinoma: systematic review and economic analysis

“…In British narrative reviews of HCC, it is commonly asserted that around 80% of tumours develop in cirrhotic livers. [71][72][73] This figure is in line with the results of a few small UK series from the 1980s, in which rates of 73-80% were reported, [74][75][76] and comparable with data from elsewhere in Europe (71-88% in France, [77][78][79][80] 75-90% in Germany, [81][82][83][84][85] 77-97% in Italy [86][87][88][89][90][91][92] and 93% in Spain 93 ). The picture may be different in North America, where similar studies suggest that the proportion of HCC patients who have cirrhosis is as low as 58% 94 to 63%.…”

“…143 This finding accords well with several other studies which suggest that patients who receive supportive care alone have a median survival in the range 3-7 months. 83,137,[144][145][146] However, these figures are likely to be affected by selection bias. For example, patients may be more likely to receive no active treatment if they present with the kind of advanced, symptomatic tumour that places them at the gloomier end of the prognostic spectrum.…”

Intermedin is overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma and regulates cell proliferation and survival

“…(1) The majority (>80%) of liver cancers are HCC. (2) Conventional chemotherapy and hormonal therapies have minimal response rates.…”

Immunopreventive Effects against Murine H22 Hepatocellular Carcinoma in vivo by a DNA Vaccine Targeting a Gastrin-Releasing Peptide

“…Previous investigations of gene therapy approaches for liver cancer have been targeting endothelial cells (Greten et al, 2006;Butterfield, 2007). Our approach is based on a vaccine taking interest in both endothelial cell and tumor cells.…”