CAN A VITAMIN PREVENT HEPATOCELLULAR
HCC is rarely identified when still in limited stage. Also,
CARCINOMA?
following the rare resection for cure, patients will remain at lifelong risk of new primary HCCs developing in the ''precan-Muto Y, Moriwaki H, Ninomiya M, Adachi S, Saito A, Tacerous'' setting of cirrhosis.
kasaki KT, Tanaka T, et al. Prevention of second primary
These obstacles explain why only about 15% of patients tumors by an acyclic retinoid, polyprenoic acid, in patients with HCC will have long-term survival. 1 A variety of screenwith hepatocellular carcinoma. N Engl J Med 1996; 334:1561ing protocols has been developed to detect preclinical HCC 1567.
in high-risk patients, such as those with hepatitis B surface antigenemia or chronic hepatitis C; however, despite strate-ABSTRACT gies involving a-fetoprotein monitoring, ultrasound, and newer biological markers, there is no clear evidence that sur-Background. In patients with hepatocellular carciveillance and early intervention leads to an increased cure noma (hepatoma), the rate of recurrent and second prirate for HCC. 2,3 The expense and difficulty in finding and mary hepatomas is high despite surgical resection and