Prognoses, outcomes, and clinicopathological characteristics of very elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent hepatectomy

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to evaluate the prognostic factors, clinicopathological characteristics, and surgical outcomes after hepatectomy in very elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: We analyzed 796 patients with HCC from 2000 to 2017. Patients aged 80 years or older were classified into the very elderly group (group VE; n = 49); patients younger than 80 years old and aged 65 years or older were classified into the elderly group (group E; n = 363), and patients younger than 65 years old were classified into the young group (group Y; n = 384). We investigated the prognoses, clinicopathological characteristics, and surgical outcomes after hepatectomy. RESULTS: The number of surgical procedures and outcomes, including morbidities, was not significantly different. Groups VE, E, and Y showed similar prognoses in terms of both survival and recurrence. In group VE, prothrombin activity (PA) < 80% and PIVKA-II ≥ 400 mAU/ml were unfavorable factors for survival, and PIVKA-II ≥ 400 mAU/ml and the presence of portal venous invasion (PVI), hepatic venous invasion, and fibrosis were unfavorable factors for recurrence. In group E, ChE < 180 IU/l, AFP ≥ 20 ng/ml, tumor size ≥ 10 cm, and the presence of multiple tumors, PVI, and hepatic venous invasion (HVI) were unfavorable factors for survival, and ChE < 180 IU/l, tumor size ≥ 10 cm, and the presence of multiple tumors, PVI, and HVI were unfavorable factors for recurrence. In group Y, AFP ≥ 20 ng/ml, the presence of multiple tumors, poor differentiation, PVI, HVI, and blood loss ≥ 400 ml were unfavorable factors for survival, and PA < 80%, albumin < 3.5 g/dl, AFP ≥ 20 ng/ml, tumor size ≥ 10 cm, and the presence of multiple tumors, poor differentiation, and PVI were unfavorable factors for recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Tumor factors might have limited influence on the prognosis of very elderly patients, and liver function reserve might be important for the long-term survival of very elderly patients. Hepatectomy can be performed safely, even in very elderly patients. Hepatectomy should not be avoided in very elderly patients with HCC if patients have a good general status because these patients have the same prognoses as nonelderly individuals.