INCIDENCE OF HEPATIC AND EXTRAHEPATIC MALIGNANCIES IN PRIMARY BILIARY-CIRRHOSIS (PBC)

The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence of malignancies in a large series of PBC patients from Italy. The overall sample included 178 patients (10 M, 168 F). The mean age at presentation was 52 yrs ( range 29-74); 17 patients had histological stage 1, 52 stage II, 66 st age III, 44 stage IV. The follow-up period ranged from 1 to 16 years ( mean 5 years). During the follow-up, extra-hepatic malignancies develo ped in 6 cases (3.3%), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a further 4 patients, all associated with cirrhosis (2.2%). Breast cancer devel oped only in one patient, resulting in a crude incidence rate of 130/1 00.000 person years among females. The calculated crude incidence of H CC was 492.4/100.000 person years. Three of the four patients with HCC had a superinfection with HCV. In conclusion, the incidence of breast cancer is not significantly increased. HCC has a relatively high prev alence in PBC and HCV superinfection may play an important role in fav ouring HCC.