Impact of diabetes mellitus on the long-term prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatectomy

Background The impact of diabetes mellitus (DM) on the survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still unclear. The present study aims to draw a firm conclusion in terms of evaluating the impact of DM on the prognosis of HCC after hepatectomy. Methods The pattern of recurrence for HCC was often stratified into early-stage (<2 years) and late-stage (>= 2 years) recurrence. Because the early-stage recurrence was mainly attributed to aggressive tumor pathological characteristics, patients who recurrence or die within 2 years were excluded. Cumulative overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were determined by the method of Kaplan-Meier, and the independent risk factors of OS/RFS were determined by Cox regression analysis. Results A total of 426 patients were eventually included. The 3- and 5-year OS in patients with and without DM was 83.7%, 55.1%; and 90.9%, 77.4%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that DM was an independent risk factor for OS (HR 1.166, 95% CI 1.056-2.036, P = 0.022) and RFS (HR 1.365, 95% CI 1.043-1.787, P = 0.023). Conclusion DM is an independent risk factor for long-term prognosis in patients with HCC. Patients with DM after hepatectomy for HCC, thus, need to actively control DM and closer follow-up.

Automated summary

This study found that diabetes mellitus (DM) is an independent risk factor for long-term prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients with DM after hepatectomy for HCC need to actively control DM and have closer follow-up.