To investigate the impact of different surgical margin and recurrence-free survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The data of 601 patients who underwent curative hepatectomy for HCC between January 1997 and December 2009 were analyzed. Milan group and exceeding Milan group were divided according to the Milan Criteria. Each of them was divided into 3 groups: group A (surgical margin≤1 mm), group B (1 mm<surgical margin≤9 mm) and group C (surgical margin≥10 mm). The relationship between surgical margin and recurrence-free survival in different groups was analyzed. In Milan group recurrence-free survival of group C was more than group B and group B more than group A (P<0.05). And in the exceeding Milan group recurrence-free surgical of group B was more than group A. There were no statistic differences within groups of B and C. Enlarging surgical margin may increase recurrence-free survival in HCC under Milan criteria.1mm in cases of exceeding Milan criteria may be regarded as the suitable surgical margin for operation of HCC.
Keywords: Surgical margin; hepatocellular carcinoma; prognosis; recurrence-free survival.