Characteristics of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: A multicenter study

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The aim of the present study was to examine the etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by underlying cause and determine the characteristics and clinical features of patients with HCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study comprised 1802 HCC patients diagnosed and followed up by Liver Diseases Outpatient Clinics in 14 tertiary centers in Turkey between 2001 and 2020. RESULTS: The mean age was 62.3±10.7 years, and 78% of them were males. Of the patients, 82% had cirrhosis. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was the most common etiology (54%), followed by hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (19%) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (10%). Of the patients, 56% had a single lesion. Macrovascular invasion and extrahepatic spread were present in 15% and 12% of the patients, respectively. The median serum alpha-fetoprotein level was 25.4 ng/mL. In total, 39% of the patients fulfilled the Milan Criteria. When we compared the characteristics of patients diagnosed before and after January 2016, the proportion of NAFLD-related HCC cases increased after 2016, from 6.6% to 13.4%. CONCLUSION: Chronic HBV and HCV infections remain the main causes of HCC in Turkey. The importance of NAFLD as a cause of HCC is increasing.