Axl and autophagy LC3 expression in tumors is strongly associated with clinical prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma patients after curative resection

Background The role of Axl and LC3 as predictors of tumor recurrence and overall survival (OS) after hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) resection remains unclear. Methods We retrospectively included 535 HCC patients who underwent hepatectomy from 2010 to 2014 in this study. Axl and the autophagy‐related marker LC3 were immunohistochemically assessed in tumors. Results Axl expression was significantly associated with advanced clinicopathological...