A STRONG NEGATIVE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ALCOHOL-CONSUMPTION AND THE RISK OF HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA IN CIRRHOTIC-PATIENTS - A CASE-CONTROL STUDY

We carried out a hospital-based, case-control study to assess the asso ciation of both the Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection and the lifetime daily alcohol intake with the risk of developing hepatocellular carci noma (HCC) in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC). Cases were 62 consec utive inpatients of a Gastroenterology Division in whom a first diagno sis of HCC superimposed on LC was made. Two control groups were used: 310 patients without liver disease, matched 1:5 with cases and randoml y selected from inpatients of the same hospital, and 97 consecutive as ymptomatic inpatients in whom the first diagnosis of LC was made. Alco hol intake was quantified in all subjects by a standardized questionna ire. HBV infection was associated with WCC development in cirrhotics ( odds ratio = 6.8; 95% confidence interval = 1.4 - 32.3), whereas we ob served a trend towards a decreased HCC risk at increased alcohol intak e values (odds ratio from 1 for lifetime abstainers to 0.2 for drinker s of 175 g/day or more). Our results suggest that alcohol intake is no t a direct determinant of HCC, but its role is mediated by LC. Cirrhot ics with high alcohol intake do not usually survive long enough to dev elop HCC.