Is inconsistency of α-fetoprotein level a good prognosticator for hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence?

Figure 1 Flow chart for patient selection. HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; AFP: α-fetoprotein; AJCC: American Joint Committee on Cancer.

Figure 2 Accumulated recurrence rates and recurrence-to-death survival rates. A: Accumulated recurrence rates were calculated from the first liver resection date to recurrence date and compared between groups I, II, and III (P < 0.001); B: Recurrence-to-death survival rates were calculated from the recurrence date to last follow-up date and compared between groups II, I, and III (P = 0.016).

Figure 3 Immunohistochemical staining of AFP in representative specimens from the primary (A) and recurrent (B) HCC resections from each group (I, II, III) × 400.