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Clinical Significance of Alpha-Fetoprotein mRNA in Peripheral Blood in Liver Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

  • Hepatobiliary Tumors
  • Published:
Annals of Surgical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Detection of AFP mRNA in peripheral blood is considered a useful predictor of HCC recurrence after resection. However, its interpretation and clinical significance remains to be determined. This study was designed to evaluate the clinical significance of detecting AFP mRNA positive cells in peripheral blood.

Methods

A total of 153 patients without macroscopic vascular invasion, who underwent liver resection, were prospectively enrolled in this study. The pattern of HCC recurrence was confirmed by image studies and divided into four types: (1) no recurrence (control group, n = 68); (2) intrahepatic single recurrence (SR group, n = 28); (3) intrahepatic multiple recurrences (MR group, n = 38); and (4) extrahepatic HCC recurrence (EX group, n = 19).

Results

HCC recurrence was identified in 85 (55.6%) patients during a follow-up of 8.6 ± 6.7 (range, 0.7–36) months. Multivariate analysis identified preoperative AFP mRNA (HR = 2.54; P = 0.006) as an independent risk factor for HCC recurrence. Preoperative AFP mRNA expression was a significant predictor of HCC recurrence in the MR/EX group (P = 0.029) but not in the SR group (P = 0.467).

Conclusions

Detection of AFP mRNA expression in peripheral blood before surgery for HCC is a useful predictor of multiple or extrahepatic HCC recurrences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan

    Shigeru Marubashi MD, Hiroaki Nagano MD, Hiroshi Wada MD, Shogo Kobayashi MD, Hidetoshi Eguchi MD, Yutaka Takeda MD, Masahiro Tanemura MD, Koji Umeshita MD, Yuichiro Doki MD & Masaki Mori MD

Authors
  1. Shigeru Marubashi MD
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  2. Hiroaki Nagano MD
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  3. Hiroshi Wada MD
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  4. Shogo Kobayashi MD
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  5. Hidetoshi Eguchi MD
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  6. Yutaka Takeda MD
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  7. Masahiro Tanemura MD
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  8. Koji Umeshita MD
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  9. Yuichiro Doki MD
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  10. Masaki Mori MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shigeru Marubashi MD.

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Marubashi, S., Nagano, H., Wada, H. et al. Clinical Significance of Alpha-Fetoprotein mRNA in Peripheral Blood in Liver Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Ann Surg Oncol 18, 2200–2209 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-011-1577-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-011-1577-7

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