Comparison of recurrence after hepatic resection in patients with hepatitis B vs. hepatitis C-related small hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis B virus endemic area.

PURPOSE: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are two important factors in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The carcinogenic mechanism of HBV and HCV is considered to be different. It is interesting to compare the recurrence after hepatic resection in patients with small HCC who were infected with HBV or HCV.

METHODS: From 1991 to 1995, 145 patients who were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) or antibody to HCV (anti-HCV) and diagnosed as small HCC (< or =3 cm) in three medical centers in Taiwan were evaluated in this study. All patients underwent hepatic resection. Among them, 83 (57.2%) were infected by HBV, 51 (35.2%) were infected by HCV, and 11 (7.6%) had dual HBV and HCV infection.

RESULTS: Anti-HCV+ HCCs were associated with older age, lower serum albumin, higher alanine transaminase (ALT) level and multi-nodular tumors during diagnosis. During the follow-up, 92 (63.4%) patients developed tumor recurrence. Anti-HCV + HCC had a higher cumulated recurrence rate than HBsAg+ HCC (72.4% vs 53.6 % at 5 year, P = 0.032). In multivariate analysis, the presence of vascular invasion and lower serum albumin levels (<3.9 g/dl) were the determinants for tumor recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS: HCV infection, as compared with HBV infection, had a higher cumulated recurrence after hepatic resection in patients with small HCC. Low serum albumin level was significantly associated with recurrence among these patients.