Hypercoagulable states in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients have an increased risk for venous thromboembolism, mainly portal venous thrombosis (PVT). The aim of this study was to assess the role of acquired and hereditary thrombotic risk factors in HCC patients. Thirty-one patients with HCC, 30 patients with cirrhosis but without HCC or PVT, and 48 matched healthy controls were studied.

Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma with long acting somatostatin analogues.

An earlier report has shown that subcutaneous short acting octreotide significantly improves survival of patients with inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to compare survival of the patients with inoperable HCC treated with long acting somatostatin analogues (LASA) to a historical control group of untreated patients. The survival of 32 patients with inoperable HCC who received LASA treatment was compared to those of 27 untreated patients.