Natural history and prognosis of adenomatous hyperplasia and early hepatocellular carcinoma: Multi-institutional analysis of 53 nodules followed up for more than 6 months and 141 patients with single early hepatocellular carcinoma treated by surgical resection or percutaneous ethanol injection

Background: The natural history and posttherapeutic outcome of adenomatous hyperplasia and early hepatocellular carcinoma have rarely been analyzed, Methods: Fifty-three hepatic tumors diagnosed as adenomatous hyperplasia or early hepatocellular carcinoma and followed up for more than 6 months and 141 patients with single early hepatocellular carcinoma treated by surgical resection or ethanol injection were collected retrospectively and analyzed. Results: Some of the adenomatous hyperplasias developed to early and to advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Tumors tended to grow faster in the order adenomatous hyperplasia, early hepatocellular carcinoma and advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, with respective mean (SD) tumor volume doubling times of 21.2 (10.7), 13.9 (11.7) and 6.0 (5.2) months. Overall survival rates at 5 years in 53 patients treated by surgery and 88 patients treated by ethanol injection were 89.6 and 71.9%, respectively. Conclusion: Progression of adenomatous hyperplasia and early HCC was confirmed pathologically. Early HCC was shown to have a good prognosis.