Association of family history with long-term prognosis in patients undergoing liver resection of HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma

Background: Family history is a risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of the current study was to investigate the association between family history of HCC and long-term oncologic prognosis among patients undergoing curative liver resection for hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC. Methods: Patients who underwent curative liver resection of HBV-related HCC between 2003 and 2013 were consecutively enrolled. Family history was defined as a self-reported history of HCC in a first-degree relative. Propensity score matching (PSM) and multivariable Cox-regression analyses were performed to compare overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) among patients with and without a family history. Results: Among 1,112 patients, 183 (16.5%) patients had a family history of HCC. Using PSM, 179 pairs of patients with and without a family history were created that had no differences in the baseline characteristics and operative variables. On matched analysis, family history was associated with decreased OS and RFS after curative-intent resection of HBV-related HCC in the propensity matching cohort (P=0.042 and 0.006, respectively). On multivariable Cox-regression analyses, a family history of HCC was associated with decreased OS (HR: 1.574; 95% CI: 1.171-2.116; P=0.003) and RFS (HR: 1.534; 95% CI: 1.176-2.002; P=0.002) after adjusting for other prognostic risk factors. Conclusions: Family history was associated with decreased OS and RFS rates among patients undergoing curative liver resection of HBV-related HCC.