Letter to the Editor
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Oncol. Jun 24, 2024; 15(6): 783-785
Published online Jun 24, 2024. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v15.i6.783
Predicting liver function after hemihepatectomy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma using different modalities
Erfan Taherifard, Anwaar Saeed
Erfan Taherifard, Anwaar Saeed, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, United States
Anwaar Saeed, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, United States
Author contributions: Taherifard E and Saeed A contributed to all stages of the work, including conceptualization, providing critical insights, and drafting of the manuscript. Both authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Anwaar Saeed, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 5150 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, United States. saeeda3@upmc.edu
Received: February 15, 2024
Revised: May 4, 2024
Accepted: May 20, 2024
Published online: June 24, 2024
Processing time: 129 Days and 20.6 Hours
Abstract

In response to Dr. Yue et al's study on prognostic factors for post-hemihepatectomy outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, this critical review identifies methodological limitations and proposes enhancements for future research. While the study identifies liver stiffness measure and standard residual liver volume as potential predictors, concerns regarding small sample size, reliance on biochemical markers for safety assessment, and inadequate adjustment for confounding variables are raised. Recommendations for rigorous methodology, including robust statistical analysis, consideration of confounding factors, and selection of outcome measures with clinical components, are proposed to strengthen prognostic assessments. Furthermore, validation of novel evaluation models is crucial for enhancing clinical applicability and advancing understanding of postoperative outcomes in patients with HCC undergoing hemihepatectomy.

Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; Liver cirrhosis; Hepatectomy; Liver failure; Standard residual liver volume; Liver stiffness

Core Tip: Methodological rigor is essential for evaluating post-hemihepatectomy outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. This paper highlights limitations in the current research methodologies, emphasizing the need for robust statistical analysis and validation of novel evaluation models. Addressing these challenges will enhance prognostic assessments and advance our understanding of postoperative outcomes in this patient population.