Hepatocellular carcinoma: A real-life experience in a specialized center in Bogotá, Colombia

Abstract

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent malignant primary liver tumor globally. In 2018, it ranked sixth and represented the fourth cause of death from cancer; the five-year overall survival is 18 %. Most cases of HCC develop in patients with cirrhosis of any etiology, especially because of hepatitis B and C viruses, alcohol, and recently nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Aim: To analyze the clinical characteristics, diagnostic methods, treatments, prognostic variables, and survival. Materials and methods: This retrospective descriptive study was conducted on a cohort of patients diagnosed with cirrhosis and treated between January 2011 and December 2020 at a health care center in Bogotá. The diagnosis of HCC was confirmed radiologically or by biopsy. We analyzed the information descriptively with absolute frequency measures in the case of categorical variables. For continuous variables, the information was summarized with measures of central tendency (mean or median) and their relevant measures of dispersion. Results: We included 152 patients diagnosed with HCC, with a mean age of 69.4 years; 51.3 % were men. The leading cause of HCC was nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which accounted for almost a third of cases (32 %); other causes were alcohol (15 %) and hepatitis C virus (14 %). The median manifestation of the tumor was two nodules with a size close to 4 cm. Besides, 35 % of patients had a BCLC (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer) stage with curative options, and 25 % received curative treatment options. The first-line systemic therapy used in this cohort was sorafenib®, used in 35 patients (33.7 %). Survival curves showed that women, Child-Pugh class A, and BCLC stage 0 had higher median survival. Multivariate analysis showed a higher risk of death for males (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.16; confidence interval [CI]: 1.24–3.76), Child-Pugh class B (HR: 2.14; CI 1.16–3.95), and Child-Pugh class C (HR: 7.52; CI 2.88–19.57). Conclusions: NAFLD is the leading cause of HCC in this cohort. A third of patients are diagnosed in early BCLC stages with a curative treatment option, and 25 % are treated with curative therapies. Sorafenib was the first-line therapy in advanced HCC. Overall survival after diagnosis of HCC remains low, being necessary to join forces in the follow-up of patients with cirrhosis to improve these outcomes.