{
  "abstract": "Background\n\nRecurrence remains common after resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) even when tumor diameter is limited. We evaluated routinely available clinicopathological predictors of recurrence within 2 years after resection of HCC ≤5 cm and developed an exploratory nomogram with bootstrap internal validation.Methods\n\nThis retrospective cohort included patients who underwent hepatic resection from 2014 to 2022. Two-year recurrence was analyzed using logistic regression, and recurrence-free survival (RFS) was analyzed using Cox regression. The revised full model contained seven explicitly specified predictors: Ki-67, preoperative TACE/RFA, microvascular invasion (MVI), satellite nodules, tumor diameter, prothrombin time (PT), and preoperative ascites. Missing model covariates were addressed in a 50-dataset multiple-imputation sensitivity analysis. Internal validation used 1,000 bootstrap resamples with the complete seven-predictor model refitted in each resample.Results\n\nAmong 215 patients, 93 (43.3%) developed recurrence within 24 months. The complete-case model included 190 patients and 83 events. In adjusted logistic analysis, Ki-67, preoperative TACE/RFA, MVI, satellite nodules, tumor diameter, and PT were associated with recurrence; preoperative ascites was retained but was not statistically significant. In adjusted Cox analysis, Ki-67, MVI, satellite nodules, and PT were associated with shorter 2-year RFS. The nomogram had an apparent AUC of 0.775 and an optimism-corrected AUC of 0.744; the optimism-corrected Brier score and calibration slope were 0.206 and 0.808, respectively. Multiple-imputation estimates were directionally consistent with the complete-case results.Conclusions\n\nIn patients with resected HCC ≤5 cm, proliferative activity, microscopic dissemination, tumor burden, and hepatic synthetic function contributed to early-recurrence risk. The internally validated nomogram showed moderate discrimination but remains exploratory and requires independent external validation before clinical use.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 6,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Wei Zhang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yubo Zhang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Qi Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Peng Tian"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ruilong Bai"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Peng Lei"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3k58wjgqe99fk.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fmed.2026.1948479",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13686892",
  "id": "3k58wjgqe99fk",
  "issns": [
    "2296-858X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42923099",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2721|Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment and Prognosis"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220902668",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13686892?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13686892",
  "pmid": "42923099",
  "published": "2026-10-08",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3k58wjgqe99fk.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:36Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42923099",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42923099"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2721|Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment and Prognosis",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Clinicopathological predictors and an internally validated exploratory nomogram for 2-year recurrence after hepatic resection of hepatocellular carcinoma ≤5 cm.",
  "title_text": "Clinicopathological predictors and an internally validated exploratory nomogram for 2-year recurrence after hepatic resection of hepatocellular carcinoma ≤5 cm.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:20:36Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3k58wjgqe99fk",
  "venue": "Frontiers in medicine",
  "versions": []
}