Published online May 15, 2021. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v13.i5.424
Peer-review started: January 6, 2021
First decision: January 25, 2021
Revised: February 11, 2021
Accepted: April 22, 2021
Article in press: April 22, 2021
Published online: May 15, 2021
Processing time: 120 Days and 16 Hours
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers in the world; and it is one of the three frequently diagnosed cancers in Egypt. Unfortunately, most patients with HCC in Egypt are initially diagnosed with intermediate or advanced stages. Therefore, the curative treatments including liver resection are limited only to a small percent of patients. The success of resection depends on the ability to achieve a resection with tumor free margins while leaving behind an adequate liver volume.
It is difficult to identify the most accurate prognostic factors associated with improved survival and the predictors of decompensation after curative resection.
To determine prognostic factors for survival and outcome after liver resection as well as validating post hepatectomy liver failure score (PHLF) and compare it to the performance of other established scoring systems which could help the prognosis of those patients after surgery.
We accrued data of 120 patients who had liver resection from 2010 to 2017 and included those with full follow up data. We performed analysis for the data to determine the prognostic factors and test the validity of the proposed score as well as compare it's validity to other established scoring systems.
Preoperative model of end stage liver disease (MELD) score and tumor diameter can precisely predict the risk of hepatic decompensation after surgery while preoperative MELD score together with different grades of PHLF and the incidence of HCC recurrence can predict survival of patients post operation.
The proposed (PHLF) scoring system as well as the established MELD score are good prognostic tools for survival while MELD score with tumor diameter are predictive for the risk of hepatic decompensation.
These models should be prospectively validated in determining decisions regarding hepatic resection in such group of patients.