More advanced disease and worse survival in cryptogenic compared to viral hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Background & AimsAlthough hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections remain major risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), nonâ viral causes of HCC, particularly nonâ alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), are becoming increasingly prevalent. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical characteristics and survival of cryptogenic and viral HCC.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 3878 consecutive HCC patients seen at two tertiary centres in the United States and one in Taiwan from 2004 to 2014. We compared the clinical characteristics, treatment and survival of patients by underlying aetiology: cryptogenic (n = 696), HBV (n = 1304) or HCV (n = 1878).ResultsCirrhosis was present in 66.8% of the cryptogenic HCC patients, compared with 74.7% of HBVâ related HCC (HBVâ HCC) (P = .001) and 85.9% of HCVâ HCC (P < .001). Compared to viral HCC, cryptogenic HCC patients presented with larger tumours and at later stages of disease. Fiveâ year overall survival was 16.3% among cryptogenic HCC patients compared with 31.9% among HBVâ HCC patients and 27.7% among HCVâ HCC patients (P < .001 for both by the logâ rank test). HCC aetiology was not an independent predictor of survival, though ethnicity, cirrhosis status, meeting Milan criteria and treatment allocation were.ConclusionsCompared with viral HCC patients, those with cryptogenic HCC had lower prevalence of cirrhosis, were diagnosed with larger tumours at more advanced stages of disease, and had poorer overall survival. Additional efforts are needed to identify patients at risk of cryptogenic HCC and to identify cryptogenic HCC at earlier stages of disease.