Modifiable Prognostic Factors of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients with Non-Surgical Treatment

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Current hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) staging systems only use baseline characteristics to predict outcome. We aimed to explore modifiable factors of the prognosis in HCC cases had undergone non-surgical treatment. METHODS: All HCC cases in Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial hospital in southern Taiwan from 2002 to 2012 must met all below criteria: (1) met international diagnostic guidelines, (2) underwent the initial treatments in our hospital (3) treated by non-surgical treatment modalities and (4) survived more than two years, with follow-up time longer than five years. RESULTS: A total 698 patients were enrolled: 451 (24.6%, group A) survivied between 2 to 5 years, and 247 (13.5%, group B) had survived > 5 years. Aside from liver function reserve and BCLC stages, four interventional factors: initial treatment modality, outcomes of 1(st) or 2(nd) treatment, and anti-viral therapy to chronic viral hepatitis were associated with prognosis. After propensity score matching, multiple logistic regression of 223 well-matched pairs showed that recurrence within one year after 1(st) treatment (OR: 2.17, 95% CI: 1.35–3.48), incomplete 2(nd) treatment (2.01, 1.27–3.17) and absence of anti-viral agents (1.68, 1.09–2.59) were independent poor prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: Complete treatment and anti-viral agents to chronic hepatitis were both independent modifiable prognostic factors of HCC patients had undergone non-surgical treatment. Based on these findings, timely treatment to achieve maximal locoregional control and anti-viral treatment should be provided as possible.