Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most prevalent malignancy and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. Hepatic resection is the standard curative treatment for early-stage HCC. However, postoperative long-term survival remains unsatisfactory because of the high recurrence rate.
Recent advancements in antiviral therapy have decreased the number of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but obesity and diabetes remain significant risk factors for the disease. However, their impact on patient survival and cancer recurrence has been uncertain.
To investigate this, Dr. Hiroji Shinkawa’s team at Osaka Metropolitan University analyzed the postoperative outcomes of 1,644 patients with HCC who underwent liver resection, focusing on the relationships between diabetes and obesity and their effects on recovery and recurrence rates.
Using computed tomography, scientists investigated 1,644 patients who underwent hepatic resection for solitary HCC without vascular invasion.
The study found that the risk of cancer recurrence after two years post-surgery was about 1.5 times higher for patients with comorbid obesity and 1.3 times higher for those with diabetes mellitus. After five years, the recurrence risk increased significantly, with a 3.8 times higher risk for patients with obesity and a two times higher risk for those with diabetes alone.
Dr. Hiroji Shinkawa’s research team at Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate School of Medicine said, “This study is expected to contribute to the early detection of cancer recurrence and the design of appropriate treatment strategies. Because the risk of late recurrence is higher in hepatocellular carcinoma with comorbid obesity and diabetes, controlling obesity and diabetes is an important treatment strategy for hepatocellular carcinoma.”
Journal Reference:
- Hiroji Shinkawa, Masaki Kaibori, Masaki Ueno, Satoshi Yasuda, Hisashi Ikoma, Tsukasa Aihara, Takuya Nakai, Masahiko Kinoshita, Hisashi Kosaka, Shinya Hayami, Yasuko Matsuo, Ryo Morimura, Takayoshi Nakajima, Chihoko Nobori, Takeaki Ishizawa. Impact of diabetes mellitus and obesity comorbidities on survival outcomes after hepatocellular carcinoma resection: A multicenter retrospective study. Liver Cancer. DOI: 10.1159/000540858
