Survey and follow-up study of Primary liver cancer in Japan-Report 10

The Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan analyzed 10700 patients with primary liver cancer diagnosed from Jan. 1, 1988 to Dec. 31, 1989 in 562 hospital throughout the country. They comprised 10082 oases of hepatocellular carcinoma, 345 of cholangiocellular carcinoma, 31 of mixed carcinoma, 30 of hepatoblastoma, 9 of cystadenocarcinoma and 7 of sarcoma in clinical diagnosis. This article revealed the current status of primary liver cancer in Japan, particularly, that of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCC) in the aspects of the epidemiology and the clinicopathological features. Furthermore, the survival rates of the HCC and CCC patients receiving curative and noncurative partial hepatic resection were calculated based on follow-up from January 1, 1978 to December 31, 1989. Beside, the survival rates of the patients undergoing transarterial embolization were measured in relation to the number of tumor nodules and the serum AFP level. This survey will provide valuable data to understand the clinicopathological characteristics of primary liver cancer in Japan.