Retrospective cohort study identifies rising hepatocellular carcinoma cases in Kosovo, highlighting smoking and alcohol as major risk factors.
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide, yet comprehensive epidemiologic data from Kosovo are lacking. We aimed to characterize trends, demographic distributions, and risk factors of HCC in Kosovo from 2012 to 2022. Methods and Results: In this retrospective, population-based cohort study, we analyzed 103 HCC cases diagnosed at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo. Demographic and clinical data were extracted from hospital registries and supplemented with national population figures. Over the study period, 77.7% of cases were male, and the highest incidence (36.9%) occurred in patients aged 60–69 years. Major risk factors included current smoking (57.3 %) and regular alcohol consumption (20.4 %), while only 6.8% had documented hepatitis B or C (HBV/HCV) infection, suggesting underdiagnosis. A transient decline in case detection in 2020 coincided with COVID-19-related healthcare disruptions. Conclusion: HCC incidence in Kosovo rose gradually over the past decade, with a pronounced male and older-age predominance. Strengthening viral-hepatitis screening and promoting tobacco- and alcohol-cessation programs are critical to curbing the HCC burden and improving outcomes.
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