To evaluate the clinical efficacy of surgical resection of central hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) conforming to the Milan criteria.

Clinical data of 76 HCC patients who underwent hepatectomy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January 2010 to June 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 62 patients were male and 14 female,aged (57±11) years on average. The informed consents of all patients were obtained and the local ethical committee approval was received. According to the tumor location, all patients were divided into central type group (n=22) and peripheral type group (n=54). Intraoperative and postoperative conditions and survival were statistically compared between two groups. The recurrence rate between two groups was statistically compared by Chi-square test. The survival curve was delineated by Kaplan-Meier method. Survival analysis was performed by Log-rank test.

The recurrence rate in central type group was 59%(13/22), including 11 cases of intrahepatic recurrence, 1 case of lung metastasis and 1 case of brain metastasis. The recurrence rate in peripheral type group was 46%(25/54), including 22 cases of intrahepatic recurrence, 2 cases of lung metastasis, 1 case of mediastinal metastasis and 1 case of bone metastasis. No significant difference was observed between two groups in tumor recurrence rate (χ2=1.024, P>0.05). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year disease-free survival rates in central type group were 68.2%, 45.5%, and 40.9%, which did not significantly differ from 79.5%, 67.8%, and 56.9% in peripheral type group (χ2=2.242, P>0.05). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates in central type group were 86.4%, 68.2%, and 50.9%, which did not significantly differ from 96.3%, 83.3%, and 71.6% in peripheral type group (χ2=1.276, P>0.05).

Patients with central HCC conforming to the Milan criteria can obtain similar long-term survival as the patients with peripheral HCC.

Carcinoma, hepatocellular; Milan criteria; Hepatectomy; Neoplasm metastasis