Patients with Multiple Hepatocellular Carcinomas Within the UCSF Criteria Have Outcomes After Curative Resection Similar to Patients Within the BCLC Early-Stage Criteria

Background

Surgical strategies for the treatment of multiple hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) remain controversial. This study compared the prognostic power of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) criteria with the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) early-stage criteria.

Methods

Clinical and survival data of 162 multiple-HCC patients in Child-Pugh class A who underwent curative resection were retrospectively reviewed. Prognostic risk factors were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results

UCSF criteria were shown to independently predict overall and disease-free survival. In patients within the UCSF criteria, 3-year overall and disease-free survivals were significantly better than in those exceeding the UCSF criteria (68 vs. 34?% and 54 vs. 26?%, respectively; both p?p?=?0.506 and 57 vs. 50?%, p?=?0.666, respectively). Tumors within the UCSF criteria were associated with a lower incidence of high-grade tumor (p?=?0.009), microvascular invasion (p?=?0.005), 3-month death (p?=?0.046), prolonged Pringle’s maneuver (p?=?0.005), and surgical margin <0.5?cm (p?Conclusions Multiple HCC patients within the UCSF criteria benefit from curative resection. Expansion of curative treatment is justified.