Abstract

VERGARA, M. et al. Natural history of hepatocellular carcinoma in a cohort of patients from a county hospital. Rev. esp. enferm. dig. [online]. 2008, vol.100, n.11, pp.682-687. ISSN 1130-0108.

Background: hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a cancer with high incidence and mortality. Objective: our aim was to describe the natural history of a patient cohort with HCC, and to identify the factors associated with survival. Patients and methods: a retrospective and descriptive study of patients diagnosed with HCC between 1995 and 2002. Qualitative variables were expressed as frequencies and percentages. Quantitative variables were expressed as medians and standard deviations. Survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and log rank. Results: a total of 154 patients were analyzed. The men-to-women ratio was 2.9/1. Mean age was 68 ± 9 years. 82% of patients died during a median follow-up of 28 months. Median survival was 21.5 months (95% CI: 16.98-26.04). Curative treatment was done in 40.3% of diagnosed patients, and 59.7% of patients received palliative treatment. Factors associated with survival were: ascites, number of lesions at diagnosis, and curative treatment. No statistical differences were found for the next factors: age, sex, etiology of cirrhosis, and Child-Pugh stage at diagnosis. Conclusions: factors associated with low survival in patients with HCC were ascites and number of lesions. Curative treatment is associated with a higher survival when compared to palliative treatment.

Keywords : Hepatocellular carcinoma; Liver cirrhosis; Screening; Survival; Ascites.

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