CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL STUDIES ON RESECTED CASES OF GIANT HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA

Between January 1985 and June 1992, 208 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were resected in the institute. In this study 22 cases of giant HCC (larger than 10cm in diameter) were clinicopathologically compared to the other 186 cases of HCC (smaller than 10cm). The mean age of 22 patients with giant HCC was 51.0 years old. There were 14 males and 8 females. The frequency of positive HBsAg was higher, while the frequency of concomitant liver cirrhosis was lower than the smaller HCC group. More than 50% of cases showed higher α-fetoprotein above 1000ng/ml. Eighteen cases out of 22 cases underwent more than 2 segment hepatectomy. Portal invasion and intrahepatic metastasis showed significantly higher frequency. The cumulative 3-year survival rate of giant HCCs was 28.4%, versus 61.7% in the smaller HCC group. Three out of 22 cases alived more than 5 years after the operation. These cases were treated by adjuvant chemotherapy, 2 of them received 5-FU via the portal vein and the other was infused adriamycin via the hepatic artery after hepatectomy.