Supportive therapies for prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence and preservation of liver function

Figure 1 Non-protein respiratory quotient values in cirrhotic patients without hepatocellular carcinoma and with hepatocellular carcinoma at different stages as classified by the Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan criteria. In patients with Child-Pugh A score, no significant difference in npRQ was seen among three groups [liver cancer study (LC) group, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) stage I/II group, and HCC stage III group]; however, the npRQ was significantly lower in the HCC stage IV group than in the LC, HCC stage I/II, or HCC stage III groups (LC group vs HCC stage IV group, P = 0.047; HCC stage I/II vs HCC stage IV group, P = 0.02; HCC stage III group vs HCC stage IV group, P = 0.02). In Child-Pugh B patients, no significant difference in npRQ was seen among the four groups.