The feasibility of a new clinical staging for primary liver cancer

Objective To investigate the feasibility of a new clinical staging of primary liver cancer (PLC). Methods 1*!038 PLC cases were surgically treated in our hospital from January 1990 to December 1998. Of those, 504 patients receiving liver resection were classified with the TNM staging and new clinical staging. Both staging systems were correlated with survival rates. Results In TNM staging, 24 cases (4 8%) were in stage Ⅰ, 66 cases (13 1%) in Ⅱ, 385 cases (76 4%) in Ⅲ, and 29 cases (5 8%) in Ⅳa. The 5 year survival rates were 79 2%, 62 1%, 32 2% and 0, respectively. As with the new clinical staging, 27 cases (5 4%) were in stage Ⅰa, 81 cases (16 1%) in Ⅰb, 224 cases (44 4%) in Ⅱa, 141 cases (27 9%) in Ⅱb, and 31 cases (6 2%) in Ⅲa. The 5 year survival rates were 70 3%,53 1%,40 2%, 22 7% and 0 respectively. Conclusion While both the TNM staging and new clinical staging have significant correlation with the selection of treatment and evaluation of prognosis, the new staging is more useful in clinical practice.