Background/aims: The differences of liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) between hepatitis B and C-related cirrhotic liver remain unknown. This study compares the surgical results of HCC in hepatitis B and hepatitis C-related cirrhotic patients in an area endemic of hepatitis B.
Methodology: A retrospective comparison of the clinicopathological features and early and long-term results of 110 cirrhotic patients with seropositive hepatitis B surface antigen only (group B) and 55 patients with seropositive anti-hepatitis C antibody only (group C) was carried out.
Results: Group C patients were older, had a lower serum alpha-fetoprotein level, greater indocyanine retention rate, and higher incidence of multicentric tumors. Tumor size was larger and there was a higher incidence of combined satellite nodules in group B patients. There were no significant differences in operative morbidity and mortality between the two groups. Group B patients had a slightly shorter disease-free interval (p = 0.07) but a better actuarial survival rate (p = 0.05) than group C patients.
Conclusions: The hepatitis status did not affect the operative risks in cirrhotic livers. However, after resection of HCC, poorer liver functional reserve in hepatitis C-related cirrhotic patients caused poorer actuarial survival rate when compared with hepatitis B-related cirrhotic patients.