Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
203,234 studies31 sourcesUpdated 47 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Frontiers in Oncology

Combined analysis of preoperative circulating tumor cells status and tumor size to guide width of resection margin for solitary hepatocellular carcinoma

  • Jiansen Xie1
  • Qijie Luo2
  • Dongdong Huang2
  • Feng Xia3
  • Zhenheng Wu4
  • Wei Zhou5
  • Qiao Zhang2
  • Feng Tian6
  • Chi-Yi Liu7
  • Zhihui Xu8
  • Xian-Ting Jiao9
  • Wei-Qiao Zhang10
3 more authors
  • Mo Ali11
  • Yi Zhou1
  • Hengyi Gao1
11 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Longhua District People's Hospital
  2. 2Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery I, Zhongshan People's Hospital
  3. 3Department of Liver Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
  4. 4Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Union Hospital, Fujian Medical University
  5. 5Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xiaogan Central Hospital
  6. 6Graduate School, Guangdong Medical University
  7. 7Department of Anesthesiology I, Zhongshan People's Hospital
  8. 8Department of Anesthesiology II, Zhongshan People's Hospital
  9. 9Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen Longgang District People's Hospital
  10. 10Intensive Care Unit, Zhongshan People's Hospital
  11. 11Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shaoyang University
Read full textPDFDOICite

Abstract

Background: The optimal resection margin width for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to explore the value of preoperative circulating tumor cells (CTCs) status and tumor size in guiding the resection margin width of patients with HCC.

Methods: This study was a multicenter retrospective study that included 383 patients who underwent resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Preoperative circulating tumor cell (CTC) detection (CTC ≥ 1/CTC = 0) and imaging evaluation of tumor size (≤ 3 cm/> 3 cm) were performed in all patients. We aimed to compare recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) between patients receiving narrow (< 1 cm) and wide (≥ 1 cm) resection margins.

Results: Tumor diameter and CTC status were independent predictors of RFS and OS in the entire cohort. In patients with tumor diameter ≤ 3 cm, CTC-positive status correlated with poorer RFS but not OS. RFS and OS of narrow margin group and wide margin group were similar, and there was no statistical significance (P > 0.05). In the patients with tumor diameter > 3 cm and CTC-negative group, the RFS and OS of the narrow margin group were comparable to those of the wide margin group (P > 0.05). However, in patients with tumor diameter > 3 cm and CTC-positive groups, RFS and OS were better in the wide margin group than in the narrow margin group (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Using preoperative CTC status and tumor diameter as preoperative markers, combined analysis of CTC status and tumor diameter could help to determine surgical margin width in patients with solitary HCC. Narrow margins are indicated for patients with a tumor diameter ≤ 3 cm (regardless of CTC status) and for patients with a tumor diameter > 3 cm and CTC-negative. Whereas wide margins are preferred in patients with tumors > 3 cm in diameter and CTC-positive.

Related

  1. Association between the preoperative C-reactive protein-albumin-lymphocyte index and prognosis after hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma
    Tomonari Shimagaki, Atsushi Maeda, Tomoya Harima +7
    PLOS OnePeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textOncologySurgery & anaesthesiaPLOS
  2. Clinical efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization combined with surgical resection for treating spontaneous rupture of hepatocellular carcinoma
    NIU Defang, ZHENG Xu, JI Fang
    Zhongguo linchuang yanjiuPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDFull textGeneral medicineDOAJ
  3. Peri-interventional neutrophil extracellular traps and immune surveillance in hepatocellular carcinoma: mechanisms, biomarkers, and recurrence after liver resection or thermal ablation
    Hang Xu, Jiayang Yi, Wanwan Zhang +2
    Frontiers in oncologyPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textOncologyEurope PMC
  4. Preoperative Zinc Deficiency as a Novel Prognostic Predictor for Postoperative Recurrence in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
    NutrientsPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textNutritionEurope PMC
  5. Correlation between circulating tumor cell levels and tumor response in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing immunotherapy and molecular targeted therapy
    Jiangmin Zhou, Huifang Xiong, Honghao Zhou +2
    Frontiers in oncologyPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textOncologyEurope PMC

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{xie2026combined,
  title = {{Combined analysis of preoperative circulating tumor cells status and tumor size to guide width of resection margin for solitary hepatocellular carcinoma}},
  author = {Jiansen Xie and Qijie Luo and Dongdong Huang and Feng Xia and Zhenheng Wu and Wei Zhou and Qiao Zhang and Feng Tian and Chi-Yi Liu and Zhihui Xu and Xian-Ting Jiao and Wei-Qiao Zhang and Mo Ali and Yi Zhou and Hengyi Gao},
  journal = {Frontiers in Oncology},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3389/fonc.2026.1810914},
  url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2026.1810914/full},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Combined analysis of preoperative circulating tumor cells status and tumor size to guide width of resection margin for solitary hepatocellular carcinoma
AU  - Jiansen Xie
AU  - Qijie Luo
AU  - Dongdong Huang
AU  - Feng Xia
AU  - Zhenheng Wu
AU  - Wei Zhou
AU  - Qiao Zhang
AU  - Feng Tian
AU  - Chi-Yi Liu
AU  - Zhihui Xu
AU  - Xian-Ting Jiao
AU  - Wei-Qiao Zhang
AU  - Mo Ali
AU  - Yi Zhou
AU  - Hengyi Gao
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/16
JO  - Frontiers in Oncology
DO  - 10.3389/fonc.2026.1810914
UR  - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2026.1810914/full
AB  - Background: The optimal resection margin width for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to explore the value of preoperative circulating tumor cells (CTCs) status and tumor size in guiding the resection margin width of patients with HCC.  Methods: This study was a multicenter retrospective study that included 383 patients who underwent resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Preoperative circulating tumor cell (CTC) detection (CTC ≥ 1/CTC = 0) and imaging evaluation of tumor size (≤ 3 cm/> 3 cm) were performed in all patients. We aimed to compare recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) between patients receiving narrow (< 1 cm) and wide (≥ 1 cm) resection margins.  Results: Tumor diameter and CTC status were independent predictors of RFS and OS in the entire cohort. In patients with tumor diameter ≤ 3 cm, CTC-positive status correlated with poorer RFS but not OS. RFS and OS of narrow margin group and wide margin group were similar, and there was no statistical significance (P > 0.05). In the patients with tumor diameter > 3 cm and CTC-negative group, the RFS and OS of the narrow margin group were comparable to those of the wide margin group (P > 0.05). However, in patients with tumor diameter > 3 cm and CTC-positive groups, RFS and OS were better in the wide margin group than in the narrow margin group (P < 0.05).  Conclusions: Using preoperative CTC status and tumor diameter as preoperative markers, combined analysis of CTC status and tumor diameter could help to determine surgical margin width in patients with solitary HCC. Narrow margins are indicated for patients with a tumor diameter ≤ 3 cm (regardless of CTC status) and for patients with a tumor diameter > 3 cm and CTC-negative. Whereas wide margins are preferred in patients with tumors > 3 cm in diameter and CTC-positive.
SN  - 2234-943X
ER  -