HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA - A REVIEW OF 140 CASES

Saudi Arabia appears to have an unusually high incidence of hepatocell ular carcinoma, which has been causally associated with a high prevale nce of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Other risk factors, including hepatiti s C virus (HCV) infection are currently not known. A study was underta ken to establish the risk factors and clinicopathological features of hepatocellular carcinoma in Saudi Arabia. The profiles of 140 patients with a biopsy-proven hepatocellular carcinoma were analyzed. Demograp hic data revealed a strong male preponderance (male:female = 5.7:1) an d 114 patients (81.4%) were found to have or have had HBV infection. T he data concerning HCV infection were incomplete, but suggest a causal association (nine of 33 patients). An absence of alcohol as a risk fa ctor was noteworthy. Clinical jaundice and right upper quadrant abdomi nal pain were the most frequent presenting features. Abnormal liver fu nction tests were present in 125 patients (89.3%) at diagnosis and ser um alpha fetoprotein was elevated in 112 patients (80%). The majority of patients had locally advanced, inoperable disease and the prognosis was uniformly dismal. The median survival was 61 days.