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Fucosylated Fraction of Alpha-Fetoprotein as a Predictor of Prognosis in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Curative Treatment

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Abstract

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of measuring the Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP-L3) for prognostic predictor in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

A total of 477 HCC patients who underwent percutaneous ablative therapy or hepatectomy were enrolled. Overall survival and recurrence-free survival were respectively evaluated retrospectively and prospectively. Multivariate analyses of clinical prognostic factors were performed by Cox’s stepwise proportional hazard model.

Results

AFP-L3 status was a statistically significant independent prognostic factor of long-term survival (P = 0.013) and recurrence-free survival (P = 0.006) in patients who underwent percutaneous ablative therapy. In contrast, AFP-L3 did not affect prognosis in patients who underwent hepatectomy.

Conclusions

AFP-L3 had different impacts on prognosis in patients with HCC who underwent percutaneous ablative therapy and hepatectomy. Our results suggest that AFP-L3 positivity (≥15%) might be a promising indicator for choosing therapeutic modalities in HCC patients.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid (16590582) from the Japan Society for the Promotion Science and a Grant-in-Aid from Health, Labor and Welfare, Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 757 Asahimachi Dori-1-Bancho, Chuo-ku, Niigata, 951-8122, Japan

    Yasushi Tamura, Masato Igarashi, Takeshi Suda & Yutaka Aoyagi

  2. Division of Digestive and General Surgery, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan

    Toshifumi Wakai & Yoshio Shirai

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shinsyu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan

    Takeji Umemura & Eiji Tanaka

  4. Department of Medicine and Molecular Science, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan

    Satoru Kakizaki & Hitoshi Takagi

  5. Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan

    Yoichi Hiasa & Morikazu Onji

Authors
  1. Yasushi Tamura
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  2. Masato Igarashi
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  3. Takeshi Suda
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  4. Toshifumi Wakai
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  5. Yoshio Shirai
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  6. Takeji Umemura
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  7. Eiji Tanaka
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  8. Satoru Kakizaki
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  9. Hitoshi Takagi
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  10. Yoichi Hiasa
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  11. Morikazu Onji
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  12. Yutaka Aoyagi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yutaka Aoyagi.

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Tamura, Y., Igarashi, M., Suda, T. et al. Fucosylated Fraction of Alpha-Fetoprotein as a Predictor of Prognosis in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Curative Treatment. Dig Dis Sci 55, 2095–2101 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-009-0954-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-009-0954-6

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