Long-term Survival of Single Hepatocellular Carcinoma ≤2cm with Microvascular Invasion

Objective Excellent long-term outcomes have been reported recently for patients with single hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) ≤2cm. However, how microvascular invasion(MVI), as an independent risk factor for HCC, affects small single HCC remains unclear. The purpose of this paper is to determine the impact of MVI on the prognosis of single HCC ≤2cm. Methods We retrospectively reviewed clinicopathological data of 62 patients with HCC ≤ 2cm, hospitalized from January 2001 to December 2008 in Yunnan Provincial Cancer Hospital. Results Among 62 patients, the 5-year overall survival(OS) rate of 16 patients with MVI was 81.3%, while that of 46 patients without MVI was 93.5% (P=0.496). Conclusion Patients with single HCC ≤2cm have excellent prognosis, and MVI has no influence on the 5-years overall survival rate; while it still needs further validation by multi-centers' and large sample size investigation to confirm if MVI affects the long-term survival or not.