Fucosylated fraction of alpha-fetoprotein as a predictor of prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after curative treatment.

Abstract

AIM:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of measuring the Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP-L3) for prognostic predictor in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS:

A total of 477 HCC patients who underwent percutaneous ablative therapy or hepatectomy were enrolled. Overall survival and recurrence-free survival were respectively evaluated retrospectively and prospectively. Multivariate analyses of clinical prognostic factors were performed by Cox's stepwise proportional hazard model.

RESULTS:

AFP-L3 status was a statistically significant independent prognostic factor of long-term survival (P = 0.013) and recurrence-free survival (P = 0.006) in patients who underwent percutaneous ablative therapy. In contrast, AFP-L3 did not affect prognosis in patients who underwent hepatectomy.

CONCLUSIONS:

AFP-L3 had different impacts on prognosis in patients with HCC who underwent percutaneous ablative therapy and hepatectomy. Our results suggest that AFP-L3 positivity (>or=15%) might be a promising indicator for choosing therapeutic modalities in HCC patients.

• Authors: Yasushi Tamura, Masato Igarashi, Takeshi Suda, Toshifumi Wakai, Yoshio Shirai, Takeji Umemura, Eiji Tanaka, Satoru Kakizaki, Hitoshi Takagi, Yoichi Hiasa, Morikazu Onji, Yutaka Aoyagi
• Journal: Digestive diseases and sciences (Dig Dis Sci) Vol. 55 Issue 7 Pg. 2095-101 (Jul 2010) ISSN: 1573-2568 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 19731025 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Biomarkers, Tumor
• alpha-Fetoproteins

Topics

• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Analysis of Variance
• Biomarkers, Tumor (blood, metabolism)
• Biopsy, Needle
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular (metabolism, mortality, pathology, surgery)
• Disease-Free Survival
• Endoscopy (methods, mortality)
• Female
• Hepatectomy (methods, mortality)
• Humans
• Liver Neoplasms (blood, mortality, pathology, surgery)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Multivariate Analysis
• Neoplasm Recurrence, Local (mortality, pathology)
• Neoplasm Staging
• Probability
• Prognosis
• Proportional Hazards Models
• Prospective Studies
• Retrospective Studies
• Risk Assessment
• Survival Analysis
• alpha-Fetoproteins (metabolism)