Early Hepatocellular Carcinoma as an Entity With a High Rate of Surgical Cure

table 1. Diagnosis of Stage I Liver Tumors in 80 Patients

Method	Performed^*	No. of Patients (%)
Method	Performed^*	Detectable	Diagnostic

-Fetoprotein assay	80	49 (61)	14 (18)
Ultrasonography	80	79 (99)	52 (65)
CT	80	71 (89)	54 (68)
Angiography	80	55 (69)	52 (65)
Portographic CT	23	17 (74)	15 (65)
Arteriographic CT	12	10 (83)	7 (58)
Lipiodol-CT	10	5 (50)	5 (50)

^* In all patients, the first four diagnostic methods were performed. In patients whose tumors did not meet the diagnostic criteria for HCC, one or more of the last three methods were performed. -Fetoprotein concentrations over 20 ng/mL were defined as detectable , and those over 200 ng/mL as diagnostic for HCC. Other definitions are described in Patients and Methods.