ObjectiveTo investigate the impact of elevated fasting blood glucose (FBG) level after open radical hepatectomy on the early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).MethodsThe clinical data of 112 patients with HCC who underwent the open radical hepatecomy from January 2013 to December 2014 in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University were retrospectively analyzed. After the radical resection of HCC, 86 patients with level of FBG 3.9–6.1 mmol/L and 26 patients with level of FBG≥6.1 mmol/L were design into a normal FBG group and an elevated FBG group, respectively. The recurrence rates of HCC were compared between the two groups at 1- and 2-year after the opreation.ResultsThere were no significant differences between the 2 groups in the gender, age, history of alcohol drinking, hepatitis B history, preoperative ALT, AST, AFP and Child-Pugh classification, scope of hepatectomy, intraoperative hemorrhage, hepatic blood flow occlusion, diameter of maximal tumor, histopathological differentiation, tumor number, cirrhosis, satellite lesion, postoperative adjuvant TACE treatment or not (P>0.05). The postoperative 1- and 2-year recurrence rates of HCC were 19.8% (17/86) and 33.7% (29/86) in the normal FBG group and 42.3% (11/26) and 61.5% (16/26) in the elevated FBG group, respectively, showing significant differences between the 2 groups (P<0.05). The results of multivariate analysis showed that the level of FBG≥6.1 mmol/L, low histopathological differentiation, and no postoperative TACE treatment were the independent risk factors affecting tumor-free survival rate after the open radical resection of HCC (P<0.05). ConclusionsElevated FBG level after open radical resection has a stimulative effect on early recurrence of HCC. As a result, monitoring and controlling of FBG level after operation is helpful in decreasing early recurrence rate of patients with HCC.