Hepatectomy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

HEPATECTOMY remains the treatment of choice for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), especially in situations where liver transplantation is not readily available. The 5-year survival rate of patients undergoing hepatectomy for HCC has improved from 12% to 20% in earlier years^1,2 to 35% to 50%^3-7 in recent years. Numerous studies have been performed to identify factors that affect survival. Almost all of these studies analyzed the prognostic values of clinical,⁴ pathological,^3,8 and biological factors,^9,10 either singly or in combination,¹¹ but the role of the surgeon in improving the survival rate after hepatectomy for HCC is unknown. This study was performed to identify the role of the surgeon in the long-term survival of patients undergoing hepatectomy for HCC.