PURPOSE/AIM: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in all parts of the world. We analyzed the clinical presentation, etiology, and tumor characteristics of HCC presenting to our hospital. METHODS: All patients diagnosed to have HCC from September 2007 to August 2010 were prospectively enrolled. HCC was diagnosed according to EASL criteria-USG/CT/MRI of the abdomen and/or serum alpha-fetoprotein and/or histology (where indicated). Detailed clinical and laboratory parameters were noted. Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging was done. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-eight patients (22 females, mean ± SD; age, 49.8 ± 10.2 years) were diagnosed to have HCC. Underlying cirrhosis was present in 99.2 %. Hepatitis C virus infection, alone (21.9 %) or with alcohol (22.9 %) was the most common etiological factor, followed by alcohol alone; 33.6 % of the patients had more than one etiological factor. Most patients (83.5 %) presented with features of decompensated cirrhosis. HCC leading to decompensation of cirrhosis was the first presentation of the liver disease in nearly one third of the cases. Serum alpha-fetoprotein was >200 ng/mL in 67.2 % of the patients, while it was normal in 18.7 % of the patients. The mean ± SD size of HCC was 5.3 ± 2.9 cm. HCC was multicentric in 57 %, and portal vein thrombosis was present in 34.4 %. About 66 % of the patients belonged to BCLC stage C or D. CONCLUSIONS: Hepatitis C virus infection was the most common cause of HCC in Punjab. One-third of the patients had multiple etiological factors and almost all had underlying cirrhosis and presented at advanced stage.
PURPOSE/AIM: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in all parts of the world. We analyzed the clinical presentation, etiology, and tumor characteristics of HCC presenting to our hospital. METHODS: All patients diagnosed to have HCC from September 2007 to August 2010 were prospectively enrolled. HCC was diagnosed according to EASL criteria-USG/CT/MRI of the abdomen and/or serum alpha-fetoprotein and/or histology (where indicated). Detailed clinical and laboratory parameters were noted. Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging was done. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-eight patients (22 females, mean ± SD; age, 49.8 ± 10.2 years) were diagnosed to have HCC. Underlying cirrhosis was present in 99.2 %. Hepatitis C virus infection, alone (21.9 %) or with alcohol (22.9 %) was the most common etiological factor, followed by alcohol alone; 33.6 % of the patients had more than one etiological factor. Most patients (83.5 %) presented with features of decompensated cirrhosis. HCC leading to decompensation of cirrhosis was the first presentation of the liver disease in nearly one third of the cases. Serum alpha-fetoprotein was >200 ng/mL in 67.2 % of the patients, while it was normal in 18.7 % of the patients. The mean ± SD size of HCC was 5.3 ± 2.9 cm. HCC was multicentric in 57 %, and portal vein thrombosis was present in 34.4 %. About 66 % of the patients belonged to BCLC stage C or D. CONCLUSIONS:Hepatitis C virus infection was the most common cause of HCC in Punjab. One-third of the patients had multiple etiological factors and almost all had underlying cirrhosis and presented at advanced stage.
Authors: S K Sarin; V Thakur; R C Guptan; S Saigal; V Malhotra; S P Thyagarajan; B C Das Journal: J Gastroenterol Hepatol Date: 2001-06 Impact factor: 4.029