Early extrahepatic recurrence as a pivotal factor for survival after hepatocellular carcinoma resection: A 15-year observational study

Table 2 Comparison of surgical findings and clinical outcomes in patients with and without extrahepatic recurrence

	Patients without early EHR (n = 705)	Patients with early EHR (n = 74)	P value
Margin involvement, n (%)	16 (2.3%)	4 (5.5%)	0.104
Metastatic lymph nodes, n (%)	1 (0.1)	3 (4.1)	< 0.001
Microvascular invasion, n (%)	114 (16.3)	33 (44.6)	< 0.001
Serosal invasion, n (%)	13 (1.9)	4 (5.4)	0.052
Bile duct invasion, n (%)	9 (1.3)	1 (1.4)	0.975
Capsule formation, n (%)	456 (66.7)	53 (71.6)	0.389
Multicentricity, n (%)	54 (7.8)	8 (10.8)	0.372
Satellite nodule, n (%)	84 (12.2)	17 (23.0)	0.009
Intrahepatic metastasis, n (%)	8 (1.2)	2 (2.7)	0.268
Necrosis, n (%)	286 (41.5)	61 (82.4)	< 0.001
Haemorrhage, n (%)	296 (43.0)	46 (62.2)	0.002
Fatty change, n (%)	246 (36.0)	15 (20.5)	0.008
Major Edmondson-Steiner grade, n (%)			0.243
1/2	30 (4.4)/352 (51.8)	2 (2.7)/30 (41.1)
3/4	274 (40.3)/24 (3.5)	38 (52.1)/3 (4.1)
Worst Edmondson-Steiner grade, n (%)			0.094
1/2	8 (1.1)/130 (18.9)	1 (1.4)/5 (6.8)
3/4	357 (51.8)/194 (28.2)	40 (54.1)/28 (37.8)
Serum AFP > 400 IU/mL on first recurrence	34 (10.2)	22 (31.0)	< 0.001
Recurrence-free survival, mo (median, range)	32.4 (2.24-177.34)	5.21 (2.04-20.28)	< 0.001
mUICC T stage on first recurrence, n (%)			< 0.001
0/1	6 (1.8)/144 (43.6)	10 (13.7)/23 (31.5)
2/3	131 (39.7)/39 (11.8)	14 (19.2)/20 (27.4)
4	10 (3.0)	6 (8.2)
Second treatment modality			0.070
Surgery/RFA	46 (6.5)/95 (13.5)	9 (12.2)/10 (13.5)
TACE/RFA + TACE	156(22.1)/14 (2.0)	13 (17.6)/6 (8.1)
RT/systemic chemotherapy/BSC	20 (2.8)/11 (1.5)/20 (2.8)	3 (4.1)/1 (1.4)

AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein; mUICC: Modified Union for International Cancer Control stage; RFA: Radiofrequency ablation; TACE: Trans-arterial chemoembolization; RT: Radiotherapy; BSC: Best supportive care.