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World J Hepatol. Jul 27, 2025; 17(7): 107603
Published online Jul 27, 2025. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v17.i7.107603
Splenectomy and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma
Da-Qing Li, Zhen-Yi Lin, Jian-Guo Wang, Rong-Qian Wu, Yu Zhang, Zhao-Qing Du
Da-Qing Li, Zhen-Yi Lin, Jian-Guo Wang, Yu Zhang, Zhao-Qing Du, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital, Xi’an 710068, Shaanxi Province, China
Da-Qing Li, Xi’an Medical University, Xi’an 710021, Shaanxi Province, China
Zhen-Yi Lin, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
Rong-Qian Wu, National Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Precision Surgery and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Advanced Surgical Technology and Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi Province, China
Zhao-Qing Du, National Engineering Research Center for Miniaturized Detection Systems, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, Shaanxi Province, China
Author contributions: Li DQ and Du ZQ contributed to conceptualization, data curation, and writing of the original draft; Lin ZY, Wang JG, Wu RQ, Zhang Y, and Du ZQ contributed to manuscript review and editing; Du ZQ contributed to funding acquisition; all authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript to be published.
Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82200686.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors report no potential conflicts of interest in relation to this study.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Zhao-Qing Du, MD, PhD, Academic Editor, Postdoctoral Researcher, Researcher, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital, No. 256 West Youyi Road, Xi’an 710068, Shaanxi Province, China. duzhaoqing2007@126.com
Received: March 27, 2025
Revised: April 29, 2025
Accepted: June 20, 2025
Published online: July 27, 2025
Processing time: 120 Days and 20.1 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: Hypersplenism, a frequent complication of cirrhosis, often requires splenectomy to alleviate conditions like thrombocytopenia and anemia. However, splenectomy may alter immune status and hemodynamics, potentially influencing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. Post-splenectomy risks, including infections and thrombosis, further complicate outcomes. Current evidence on the splenectomy-HCC relationship remains inconclusive, necessitating further research into pathophysiology and epidemiology. This review examines immune, hemodynamic, and gut microbiota changes post-splenectomy to guide individualized treatment strategies for cirrhotic patients.