Primary cancer of the liver. Evaluation, treatment, and prognosis.

Between 1970 and 1985, a diagnosis of primary hepatocellular carcinoma was established in 98 patients. Sixty-one cases developed in the presence of chronic liver disease, and only six of these were considered resectable. Of these, the median survival was 19 months. There was one perioperative death. Of the 98 tumors, 37 arose in normal livers. Of the 16 patients with tumors in normal livers that were resected, all survived operation. The long-term median survival was 32 months. Two subsets of the fibrolamellar and clear-cell variants appeared to carry a more favorable prognosis.