Epidemiology and Clinical Features of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital
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Date
2023-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary malignant neoplasm derived from hepatocytes, accounting for about 80% of all liver cancers. HCC ranks as the 5th most prevalent malignancy and the 2nd-leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. The incidence of HCC varies widely according to geographic location. The distribution of HCC also differs among racial and ethnic groups within the same country.
Methods: Descriptive cross – sectional study design was used. The study was conducted at Tikur Ambessa Specialized Hospital from April 2018 to March 2023. Data was gathered from HMIS, patient charts, and EMR by trained residents and interns.
Results: From a cohort of 145 participants, 106 were male and 39 were female. The mean and the median age of the study participants were 52.8 years and 55 years respectively. we found that 16.55% had one or more co-morbid conditions. In our cohort, 32.41% of HCC cases were attributed to HBV infection, while 19.31% tested positive for HCV. Patients with HBV-associated HCC had a median age of 43 years and a mean age of 44.85 years. We identified 36 patients with a history of alcohol use. Among our study participants, 19 individuals (22.62%) were diagnosed with decompensated cirrhosis.
Conclusion: HCC presenting to TASH affects more males than females. Hepatitis B virus infection is the leading etiological risk factor associated with HCC. Health facilities should implement policies that: Prevent HBV/HCV transmission and implement surveillance for high-risk groups. There is an urgent need to improve education of the population on hepatitis and its dreaded complication HCC. Health care providers should also be provided with HCC surveillance education and should establish programmes to implement surveillance.
Key Words: Clinical feature, Epidemiology, Hepatocellular carcinoma.