Hepatocellular carcinoma in a large medical center of China over a 10-year period: evolving therapeutic option and improving survival

// Qianqian Zhu 1, * , Na Li 1, * , Xiaoyan Zeng 2 , Qunying Han 1 , Fang Li 1 , Cuiling Yang 1 , Yi Lv 3, 4 , Zhihua Zhou 1 , Zhengwen Liu 1, 4 1 Department of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710061 Shaanxi, China 2 Department of Laboratory Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710061 Shaanxi, China 3 Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710061 Shaanxi, China 4 Institute of Advanced Surgical Technology and Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710061 Shaanxi, China * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Zhengwen Liu, e-mail: liuzhengwen@medmail.com.cn Keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma, feature, treatment, survival, diagnosis Received: November 04, 2014      Accepted: December 11, 2014      Published: February 24, 2015 ABSTRACT Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the most common and lethal cancers worldwide, especially in China. Methods We retrospectively analyzed data from patients who were diagnosed and treated HCC between 2002 and 2011 in a large hospital in northwest China and compared the data between periods 2002–2006 (P1) and 2007–2011 (P2). Results 2045 patients were included in analysis. The HCC stages at diagnosis according to the Barcelona clinic liver cancer staging system had no significant change. Treatment options of liver transplantation, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and other therapy decreased while percutaneous local ablation and supportive care increased from P1 to P2. Options of surgical resection and systematic therapy had no significant change. Patient survival rates at 1, 3 and 5 years significantly improved from P1 to P2. The treatments with increasing option trend had a higher magnitude of survival increase and vise versa . Conclusion Over the last 10 years, the patient survival had a significant increase which was mainly a result of the optimal therapeutic selections according to disease stages in this center. However, the proportion of patients diagnosed at early stages of HCC remained low and did not increase, a result calling for implementing surveillance system for at risk patients.