Abstract:
Objective The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of hepatic resection and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for patients with stage B hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) classification.
Methods Clinical data of 222 patients diagnosed with BCLC stage B liver cancer and Child Pugh A HCC between January 2003 and August 2006 were included in this retrospective study. Different statistical methods were used to compare the survival rates of the two groups. Risk factors were analyzed using the Cox regression model, whereas overall survival rates were analyzed using Kaplan Meier curves.
Results Of the 222 patients, 118 underwent hepatic resection and 104 received TACE. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates for the hepatic resection group were 76 %, 46 %, and 37 %, respectively, whereas those for the TACE group were 53 %, 19 %, and 7 %, respectively. The median survival times were 29 and 11 months for the hepatic resection group and TACE group, respectively (P < 0.05). Cox regression model analysis showed that TACE was the risk factor affecting prognosis.
Conclusions Hepatic resection for patients with BCLC stage B liver cancer and Child Pugh A HCC might have better survival rates compared with TACE. Different treatment strategies should be conducted in patients of different subgroups with BCLC stage B HCC.