Analysis of treatment outcome for lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive alpha-fetoprotein-positive hepatocellular carcinoma in relation to post-treatment disappearance of protein

• Published in: Journal of Microwave Surgery Vol. 29; pp. 109 - 113
• Main Authors: Yasuko, Kawasaki, Kiyohide, Kioka, Takashi, Nakai, Yumi, Ishida, Hirotsugu, Maruyama, Shinsuke, Hiramatsu, Aroka, Mori, Takehisa, Suekane, Tomoaki, Yamasaki, Koji, Sano, Masatsugu, Shiba, Hiroko, Nebiki, Hiroyuki, Sato, Akishige, Kanazawa, Sadatoshi, Shimizu, Tadashi, Tsukamoto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: 特定非営利活動法人 Microwave Surgery研究会 2011; メディカルレビュー社
• ISSN: 0917-7728; 1882-210X
• DOI: 10.3380/jmicrowavesurg.29.109

[Abstract] Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate the influence of the rating “Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive alpha-fetoprotein (AFA L3) positive” on the outcome of treatment. Materials and methods: The study involved 232 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma rated as having liver damage class AB hepatopathy, a single tumor, tumor diameter 2 cm or smaller, no vascular invasion, and no extrahepatic lesion for whom AFP-L3 (“L3”) was measured at our hospital between 1994 and 2008. In these patients, the outcome of treatment was analyzed in relation to presence/absence (positive/negative) of L3 before treatment and post-treatment disappearance or persistence of L3 in pre-treatmene L3-positive cases. Results: The cumulative survival rate was significantly lower for L3-positive cases than for L3-negative cases (p=0.008). Neither the cumulative survival rate in L3-positive cases nor the post-treatment L3 disappearance rate in L3-positive cases before treatment differed significantly depending on the method of treatment (p=0.7501, p=0.3286). The cumulative survival rate was significantly higher for cases becoming L3 negative after treatment than for those failing to become L3-negative after treatment (p=0.035). Conclusion: The prognosis was poorer in L3-positive cases than in L3-negative cases. Among L3-positive cases before treatment, the prognosis was poorer in cases failing to become L3-negative after treatment than in those becoming L3-negative after treatment.