He et al identified prognostic factors for a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma metastatic to bone. These can help to identify a patient who may benefit from more aggressive or a novel therapy. The authors are from the University of Shanghai.
Factors associated with a worse prognosis:
(1) low Karnofsky performance score (KPS)
(2) elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and GGT levels
(3) extensive intrahepatic tumor progression, with hepatic failure
where:
• The ECOG scale could be used instead of the KPS.
• Extensive metastatic disease would also be a poor prognostic factor.
• A KPS >= 90 was associated with the best survival. A KPS <= 70 was associated with a relatively poor survival, especially when <= 50.
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