Application of tumor-node-metastasis staging 2002 version in locally advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: is it predictive of surgical outcome?

Background Locally advanced (pT3-4N0M0) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a heterogeneous group of tumors, which consists of four different categories, including HCC with "multiple tumors more than 5 cm", "major vascular invasion", "invasion of adjacent organs", and "perforation of visceral peritoneum". The aim of our study was to verify whether the 2002 version of the Tumor-Node-Metastasis staging system could predict surgical outcomes in patients with locally advanced HCC. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 298 patients with pT3-4N0M0 HCC who underwent hepatic resection from 1993 to 2000 in an academic tertiary hospital. Overall survival (OS) and cumulative recurrence rate (CRR) of the four categories of locally advanced HCC patients were compared. Results In multivariate analysis, major vascular invasion was identified as the most significant factor (HR = 3.291, 95% CI 2.362-4.584, P < 0.001) followed by cirrhosis status on OS, and was found to be the only independent factor of CRR (HR = 2.242, 95% CI 1.811-3.358, P < 0.001) in patients with locally advanced HCC. Among the four categories of locally advanced HCC, OS was significantly worse, and CRR was significantly higher in patients with HCC with major vascular invasion (pT3) than with multiple tumors more than 5 cm (pT3); or tumor invasion of adjacent organs (pT4); or perforation of visceral peritoneum (pT4). No significant differences were observed in OS or CRR between the latter three groups of patients. Conclusions HCC with major vascular invasion, which are classified as pT3 under the current TNM staging, have the worst prognosis when compared with the other categories of pT3-4 disease. There is a need to redefine the T classification and to stratify locally advanced HCC.