TY - JOUR AU - Alam, Laima PY - 2021/12/29 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - A year of hepatocellular carcinoma at a glance. Demographics, biochemical and radiological characteristics and treatment modalities from a specialized facility of Pakistan JF - Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association JA - J Pak Med Assoc VL - 71 IS - 7 SE - Research Article DO - 10.47391/JPMA.826 UR - https://ojs.jpma.org.pk/index.php/public_html/article/view/858 SP - 1849-1855 AB - <p><strong>Objectives:</strong><br />Relation of demographics of hepatocellular-carcinoma with the aetiology.<br />Tumour characteristics in relation to anti-viral therapy and presence of viral-DNA/RNA<br />Treatment modalities offered<br /><strong>Methods:</strong> This cross-sectional study enrolled all the patients aged 18-70 years with diagnosed hepatocellular carcinoma either through Triphasic Contrast-Enhanced-CT scan and/or Magnetic Resonance Imaging or biopsy presenting to the Outpatient-Department or multi-disciplinary-team meetings for the year 2019. Demographic variables, biochemical analysis including liver profile and stage of cirrhosis, viral-status, tumour staging and the treatment modalities offered were all noted. ANOVA (normal) and Kruskal-Wallis (non-normal) tests were used to compare quantitative data whereas chi-square-test and fisher-exact-test were used to compare qualitative-data.<br /><strong>Results:</strong> Out of 195 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, 76% were males in their fifth to sixth decades of life, 96% had cirrhosis, 94% corresponded to viral hepatocellular-carcinoma (82% Hepatitis-C-Virus, 9% Hepatitis-B-Virus and 3% coinfection), 60% of the cirrhotics landed in Child-Pugh A category with tumour staging BCLC-B being the predominant one (43.6%) and single and multiple bilateral nodules were the commonest lesions encountered. Platelets and Alanine-Transaminase had a significant relation across aetiological groups. Lymph-nodes were the most common extra-hepatic organs for metastasis and the presence of viral PCR had a significant impact on the tumour aggressiveness. Thirty-two percent of the patients were amenable to curative treatment.<br /><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Viral infection is the main cause of rising prevalence of this tumour in Pakistan. Treatment modalities are expensive and expertise are lacking. A nationwide cancer registry is required for the exact disease burden and tumour behaviour for our population.</p><p><strong>Continuous....</strong></p> ER -