In Brief:
Some epidemiologic data suggests that hepatocellular carcinoma in different regions of the world may represent different forms of the disease. We compared the patient and tumor characteristics, underlying liver damage, and surgical outcomes of 586 patients who underwent resection of hepatocellular carcinoma between 1980 and 1998 at four centers in the United States, France, and Japan. Despite differences in etiology, tumor factors, and underlying liver damage, perioperative outcomes and survival were similar across countries.
