Table 1. . Independent risk factors of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after local curative treatment.
| Risk factors of recurrence | Variables | Resection | Radiofrequency ablation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tumor features | |||
| Tumor number | Radiology/histology | Yes | Yes [23] |
| Tumor size | Radiology/histology | Yes | Yes [22] |
| Microvascular invasion | Histology | Yes | NA |
| Differentiation | Histology | Yes | Yes [22] |
| Satellites nodules | Radiology/histology | Yes | NA |
| Serum AFP | Biology | Yes | Yes [27] |
| Serum AFP-L3 | Biology | Yes | Yes [28] |
| Serum DCP | Biology | Yes | Yes [29] |
| Serum VEGF | Biology | Yes | Yes [30] |
| ESM-1 | Immunohistochemistry | Yes | Yes [26] |
| Glutamine synthase | Immunohistochemistry | Yes | Yes [37] |
| 5-gene score | Molecular signature | Yes | NE [59] |
| G3 subgroup | Molecular signature | Yes | NE [56] |
| Proliferative subclass | Molecular signature | Yes | NE |
| Metastasis signature | Molecular signature | Yes | NE |
| Stem cell features | Immunohistochemistry | Yes | Yes [38,57] |
| Tumor portal thrombosis | Radiology/histology | Yes | NA |
| Underlying liver disease – related factors | |||
| Child-Pugh class | Clinic and biology | Yes | Yes [41] |
| Prothrombin time/INR | Biology | Yes | Yes [39,40] |
| Bilirubin | Biology | Yes | Yes [26] |
| Hepatitis C seropositivity | Clinic | Yes | Yes [41] |
| HBV viral load | Biology | Yes | Yes [39,44] |
| AgHBs+ and AgHBe- | Biology | Yes | Yes [47] |
| Low platelet count | Biology | Yes | Yes [41,43] |
| Hyaluronic acid | Biology | Yes | Yes [44] |
| Age-platelets index | Clinic/biology | Yes | Yes [45] |
| 186 genes signature | Biology | Yes | NE |
| Hepatic inflammation | Biology/histology | Yes | NE |
| Host factors | |||
| Age | Clinic | Yes | Yes [27] |
| Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio | Biology | Yes | Yes [52] |
| High visceral fat area | Clinic/radiology | No | Yes [51] |
| Treatment-related factors | |||
| Anatomic vs nonanatomic | Treatment | Yes | NA |
| Surgical margin positive | Treatment | Yes | NA |
| Subcapsular location | Treatment/location | No | Yes |
| Adjacent vessel | Treatment/location | No | Yes [11] |
| Width of resection/ablation margin | Treatment | Yes | Yes [16] |
| PEI (vs RFA) | Treatment | NA | Yes [2,3,4] |
| Perfused electrode (vs internally cooled) | Treatment | NA | Yes [18] |
AFP: α-Fetoprotein; DCP: Des-γ-carboxyprothrombin; HBV: Hepatitis B virus; INR: International normalized ratio; NA: Assessment not possible in radiofrequency ablation or resection; NE: Not evaluated in radiofrequency ablation; PEI: Percutaneous ethanol injection; RFA: Radiofrequency ablation.