Is inconsistency of alpha-fetoprotein level a good prognosticator for hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence?
World J Gastroenterol. 2010 Jun 28;16(24):3049-55 Authors: Hsieh CB, Chen TW, Chu CM, Chu HC, Yu CP, Chung KP AIM: To identify the clinical outcomes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with inconsistent alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels which were initially high and then low at recurrence. METHODS: We retrospectively included 178 patients who underwent liver resection with high preoperative AFP levels (>/= 200 ng/dL). Sixty-nine HCC patients had recurrence during follow-up and were grouped by their AFP levels at recurrence: group I, AFP /= 200 ng/dL (n = 29). Their preoperative clinical characteristics, accumulated recurrence rate, and recurrence-to-death survival rate were compared. Three patients, one in each group, underwent liver resection twice for primary and recurrent HCC. AFP immunohistochemistry of primary and recurrent HCC specimens were examined. RESULTS: In this study, 23% of patients demons
Related Questions
- Are both PIVKA-II and alpha-fetoprotein necessary in follow-up management after hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma?
- Is p53 gene mutation an indicatior of the biological behaviors of recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma?
- Is Current Imaging Good Enough to Differentiate Radiation-Induced Brain Injury from Tumor Recurrence?
