Real-world role of performance status in surgical resection for hepatocellular carcinoma: A multicenter study

Background: The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) categorizes a patient with performance status (PS)-1 as advanced stage of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and surgical resection is not recommended. In real-world clinical practice, PS-1 is often not a contraindication to surgery for HCC. The aim of current study was to define the impact of PS on the surgical outcomes of patients undergoing liver resection for HCC. Methods: 1,531 consecutive patients who underwent a curative-intent resection of HCC between 2005 and 2015 were identified using a multi-institutional database. After categorizing patients into PS-0 (n = 836) versus PS-1 (n = 695), perioperative mortality and morbidity, overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were compared. Results: Overall perioperative mortality and major morbidity among patients with PS-0 (n = 836) and PS-1 (n = 695) were similar (1.4% vs. 1.6%, P = 0.525 and 9.7% vs. 10.2%, P = 0.732, respectively). In contrast, median OS and RFS was worse among patients who had PS-1 versus PS-0 (34.0 vs. 107.6 months, and 20.5 vs. 60.6 months, both P < 0.001, respectively). On multivariable Cox-regression analyses, PS-1 was independently associated with worse OS (HR: 1.301, 95% CI: 1.111–1.523, P < 0.001) and RFS (HR: 1.184, 95% CI: 1.034–1.358, P = 0.007). Conclusions: Patients with PS-1 versus PS-0 had comparable perioperative outcomes. However, patients with PS-1 had worse long-term outcomes as PS-1 was independently associated with worse OS and RFS. Routine exclusion of HCC patients with PS-1 from surgical resection as recommended by the BCLC guidelines is not warranted.