FIB-3 index as a novel age-independent predictor of liver fibrosis and prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing hepatectomy.

[BACKGROUND] Liver fibrosis is a key factor in the progression of chronic liver diseases, including viral hepatitis and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. If untreated, fibrosis can progress to cirrhosis, increasing the risk of liver cancer or failure. This study evaluates the Fibrosis (FIB)-3 index, a novel marker free from age-related biases, for predicting liver fibrosis and 5-year outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients undergoing hepatectomy.

[METHODS] Data from 1013 patients who underwent liver resection were analyzed in this multi-institutional study. The predictive performance of the FIB-3 index was compared with the original FIB-4 index, which incorporates age into its calculation.

[RESULTS] The FIB-3 index demonstrated superior accuracy for advanced fibrosis (≥F3) in elderly patients. A higher FIB-3 index was an independent risk factor for recurrence-free survival in elderly patients, underscoring its utility in this population. Notably, the application of appropriate cutoff values allowed the FIB-3 index to facilitate effective risk stratification for 5-year overall survival and recurrence-free survival.

[CONCLUSIONS] The FIB-3 index served as an effective alternative to the FIB-4 index in assessing liver fibrosis among aged patients, and it effectively stratified the likelihood of the 5-year outcomes when utilized in conjunction with a specific cut-off after initial hepatectomy for HCC.