Obesity and Microvascular Invasion in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND: We hypothesized that hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with higher Body Mass Index (BMI) might have more microvascular invasion (MVI) in their tumors. METHODS: Records from 138 consecutive patients who underwent surgery at Columbia University Medical Center from January 1, 2002 to January 9, 2008 were evaluated. RESULTS: 40 patients (29%) had MVI, including 14% with BMI <25, 31% with BMI = 25-30, and 40% with BMI >30 (p = .05). However, only maximum alpha-fetoprotein was significantly associated with overall mortality in a Cox model. CONCLUSIONS: MVI was associated with obesity. A better understanding of the mechanism of this association may lead to interventions for the treatment and prevention of HCC.