BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: This study was designed to compare the recurrence patterns after curative hepatectomy, to compare the prognosis according to the initial site of metastasis, and to investigate the independent predictive factors associated with extrahepatic recurrence in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after curative hepatectomy. METHODS: From January 2000 to July 2009, 307 patients underwent curative hepatectomies for HCC at our institution; 152 patients showed recurrences. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to their initial recurrence site: the intrahepatic recurrence (IHR) group and extrahepatic recurrence (EHR) group. The IHR group was comprised of 111 patients and the EHR group was comprised of 41 patients. The study investigated the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors related to the recurrence pattern retrospectively and compared the prognoses of the patients. RESULTS: A five-year survival rate after an initial recurrence was lower in the EHR group (21.5%) than the IHR group (36.3%) (p<0.001). The preoperative alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level was an independent risk factor for extrahepatic recurrence (p=0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with a preoperative AFP level greater than 200 ng/ml have a higher incidence of extrahepatic metastases after a curative resection of HCC. Increased level of preoperative AFP is an indication for a short-term follow up hepatectomy.
alpha-Fetoproteins ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatectomy ; Humans ; Incidence ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: The measurement of serum human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) extracellular domain levels is a well-established method for evaluating whether a metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer patient will respond to HER2-targeted treatment. However, little is known about the value of serum HER2 for detecting disease relapse following curative surgical treatment in breast cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of serum HER2, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and carcinoma antigen 15-3 (CA 15-3) for the detection of disease recurrence in postoperative breast cancer patients with a primary HER2-positive tumor. METHODS: Serial measurements were taken of serum HER2, CEA, and CA 15-3 levels in patients with primary invasive HER2-positive breast cancer who underwent curative surgical treatment between January 2008 and December 2010. Following treatment, serum HER2 levels were monitored every 6 months using a chemiluminescence immunoassay. RESULTS: Overall, 264 patients were analyzed in this retrospective study. The median follow-up period was 27.7 months, and 24 patients relapsed during follow-up. The sensitivity of serum HER2, CEA, and CA 15-3 for the detection of disease recurrence was 37.5%, 25.1%, and 12.5%, respectively. Sensitivity increased to 45.8% when all three tumor markers were combined in the analysis. In a subgroup of patients without liver disease, the sensitivity of serum HER2, CEA, and CA 15-3 was 57.1%, 21.4%, and 14.3%, respectively. Of the 264 patients in this study, 80 patients had chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, or abnormal aspartate aminotransferase or alanine aminotransferase levels during the follow-up period. Following the exclusion of these patients, the sensitivity of serum HER2 for the detection of disease recurrence increased to 57.1%. CONCLUSION: Serial serum HER2 measurement may be useful for the detection of disease relapse in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. Abnormal liver function can result in elevated serum HER2 in the absence of disease recurrence.
Alanine Transaminase ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Diseases ; Luminescence ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Recurrence* ; Retrospective Studies ; Biomarkers, Tumor