Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Aetiology and its most common presentation in a tertiary care centre of Pakistan

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most familiar type of primary liver cancer. Hepatocellular carcinoma appears most often in people with chronic liver diseases, such as cirrhosis caused by hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection.
Objective: Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is the most serious complication in the cirrhotic. HCC is believed to be the 2nd cause of cancer deaths around the globe even in the presence of different treatment modalities. We aimed to determine any change in aetiology and stage of disease at presentation among our Pakistani population.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in The Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad. Data was collected after the consensual agreement of 242 patients. Diagnosis of HCC was based on CT scan or ultrasound combined with Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level. Parameters included were age, Barcelona Clinic of Liver Cancer (BCLC) class, Child-Pugh Class (CTP), AFP, absence or presence of Portal Vein Thrombosis (PVT) and others.