BACKGROUND/AIMS: The heterogeneous epidemiology of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with the highest incidence rates in East Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Melanesia results from variations in the main risk factors. We investigated epidemiological trends, including incidence and mortality, of patients diagnosed with HCC over a 20-year period in Austria. METHODS: Data on age-adjusted incidence rates of HCC were obtained from the Austrian National Cancer Registry, which compiles nationwide data on all newly diagnosed cancers. Data on age-adjusted mortality were obtained from the national death registry (Statistics Austria). RESULTS: Of 24,939 patients diagnosed with hepatobiliary tumors between 1990 and 2009, 8,561 subjects had HCC (m/f ratio 75/25%; mean age 69 years). Lymph node and distant metastases were present in 7.5 and 12.2%, respectively. The age-adjusted incidence rate was significantly higher in men than women (m/f ratio 4.5/1) and markedly increased in men (4.68/5.10) but remained stable in women (1.18/1.11). Similarly, the age-adjusted mortality rate was significantly higher in men than women (m/f ratio 4.5/1), increased in men (4.02/4.98) and remained stable in women (0.92/1.0). The median overall survival was 4.5 months for men and 3.2 months for women with 1-/5-year survival rates of 33/11% and 28/10%, respectively. CONCLUSION: HCC is the most common hepatobiliary neoplasia in Austria and has a very poor prognosis. The age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates were higher in males, increased over time in men and remained stable in women. Extrahepatic metastases were rarely diagnosed and associated with dismal survival.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: The heterogeneous epidemiology of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with the highest incidence rates in East Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Melanesia results from variations in the main risk factors. We investigated epidemiological trends, including incidence and mortality, of patients diagnosed with HCC over a 20-year period in Austria. METHODS: Data on age-adjusted incidence rates of HCC were obtained from the Austrian National Cancer Registry, which compiles nationwide data on all newly diagnosed cancers. Data on age-adjusted mortality were obtained from the national death registry (Statistics Austria). RESULTS: Of 24,939 patients diagnosed with hepatobiliary tumors between 1990 and 2009, 8,561 subjects had HCC (m/f ratio 75/25%; mean age 69 years). Lymph node and distant metastases were present in 7.5 and 12.2%, respectively. The age-adjusted incidence rate was significantly higher in men than women (m/f ratio 4.5/1) and markedly increased in men (4.68/5.10) but remained stable in women (1.18/1.11). Similarly, the age-adjusted mortality rate was significantly higher in men than women (m/f ratio 4.5/1), increased in men (4.02/4.98) and remained stable in women (0.92/1.0). The median overall survival was 4.5 months for men and 3.2 months for women with 1-/5-year survival rates of 33/11% and 28/10%, respectively. CONCLUSION: HCC is the most common hepatobiliary neoplasia in Austria and has a very poor prognosis. The age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates were higher in males, increased over time in men and remained stable in women. Extrahepatic metastases were rarely diagnosed and associated with dismal survival.
Authors: Bernhard Scheiner; Martha M Kirstein; Florian Hucke; Fabian Finkelmeier; Kornelius Schulze; Johann von Felden; Sandra Koch; Philipp Schwabl; Jan B Hinrichs; Fredrik Waneck; Oliver Waidmann; Thomas Reiberger; Christian Müller; Wolfgang Sieghart; Michael Trauner; Arndt Weinmann; Henning Wege; Jörg Trojan; Markus Peck-Radosavljevic; Arndt Vogel; Matthias Pinter Journal: Aliment Pharmacol Ther Date: 2019-04-12 Impact factor: 8.171