Published online Apr 14, 2020. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v26.i14.1647
Peer-review started: December 19, 2019
First decision: January 19, 2020
Revised: March 14, 2020
Accepted: March 19, 2020
Article in press: March 19, 2020
Published online: April 14, 2020
Microvascular invasion (MVI) is a definite risk factor of early recurrence and poor surgical outcomes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Accurate preoperative prediction of MVI is helpful for the choice of clinical treatment options and evaluation of postoperative efficacy.
Histologic examination of the surgical specimens is the only reliable method to diagnose MVI. There is an urgent need for an effective tool to predict MVI preoperatively.
This study aimed to construct a new prediction model, mainly based on routine laboratory parameters, to achieve more accurate prediction for MVI in patients with HCC before surgery.
In this retrospective study, data from 454 patients with HCC who underwent hepatectomy were collected and nonrandomly split into a training cohort and a validation cohort. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify variables significantly associated with MVI, and a new preoperative prediction model for MVI was established and further validated.
The incidence of MVI was 46.0% in patients with hepatectomy. Tumor size, number of tumors, neutrophils, and serum α-fetoprotein were identified as independent significant factors associated with MVI. A nomogram was established and showed good performance in the evaluation of discrimination and calibration.
This prediction model could effectively predict MVI with good discrimination and calibration ability.
Data from other centers are needed to further validate the clinical usability of this novel model.