Protrusion of hepatocellular carcinoma is a predictor of early recurrence in hepatectomy patients after spontaneous rupture.

PURPOSE: The factors related to early-onset tumor recurrence in patients with spontaneously ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after hepatectomy remain unclear. The aims of the present study were to compare characteristics between early and late recurrence groups in spontaneously ruptured HCC patients who received curative hepatectomy and to identify risk factors for mortality.

METHODS: We selected 19 patients who had been diagnosed with spontaneously ruptured HCC and who were treated with curative liver resection between 1998 and 2013. The 19 patients were divided into 2 groups: the early recurrence group of patients who experienced tumor recurrence within 12 months after hepatectomy, and the late recurrence group of patients who experienced recurrence after 12 months or who did not experience recurrence.

RESULTS: The median tumor size was 7.4 cm, and there were no cases of postoperative mortality. Patient survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 78.9%, 58.6%, and 58.6%, respectively. The incidence of tumor protrusion in the early recurrence group was higher than that in the late recurrence group (100% vs. 30%, respectively, P = 0.003). There were no statistically significant differences in other factors between the 2 groups. Multivariate analysis showed that greater than 30% protrusion of the tumor was a predictor of patient survival.

CONCLUSION: The results from the present study suggests that spontaneously ruptured HCC patients with protrusion should be frequently monitored after hepatectomy in order to achieve early detection of tumor recurrence and improve survival.