Single Large Nodule (>5 cm) Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Kinship with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) Stage A or B?

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognosis among patients with a single large hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) >5 cm compared with other patients in Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage A or stage B. MATERIAL/METHODS: Data on patients with BCLC stage A/B HCC were collected between 2008 and 2012. BCLC stage A was subclassified as A1 (single tumor, 2–5 cm, or 2–3 nodules ≤3 cm), or A2 (single tumor >5 cm). Overall survival (OS) was evaluated and compared. RESULTS: Among 1005 patients with HCC, 455 were stage A1, 188 were stage A2, and 362 were stage B. The OS of stage A2 patients was significantly worse than that of stage A1 patients (median survival, 30.6 vs. 43.2 months, p<0.001), and was similar to that of stage B patients (median survival, 30.6 vs. 33.5 months, p=0.519). After surgical resection, OS was statistically distinct between stage A1+A2 and B (median survival, 51.2 vs. 36.0 months, p=0.001), and between stage A1 and A2+B (median survival, 54.4 vs. 36.8 months, p<0.001). In contrast, when treated by transarterial chemoembolization, there was no difference in OS between patients with stage A1+A2 HCC and patients with stage B HCC (median survival, 32.4 vs. 31.3 months, p=0.310), whereas patients with stage A1 HCC showed a significantly more favorable OS than those with stage A2+B HCC (median survival, 39.6 vs. 31.8 months, p=0.023). On multivariable analysis, the groupings that showed significantly different associations with OS were BCLC stage A2+B vs. A1 (hazard ratio 1.6, p<0.001) rather than stage B vs. A1+A2. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with solitary HCC >5 cm had a comparable survival with BCLC stage B. HCC >5 cm should therefore be classified as an intermediate stage.