Clinical features of non－B， non－C hepatocellular carcinoma / 临床肝胆病杂志

ABSTRACT

ObjectiveTo investigate the change in the proportion of non－B， non－C hepatocellular carcinoma （NBNC－HCC） in hepatocellular carcinoma， and to compare and analyze the clinicopathological features of NBNC－HCC. MethodsA total of 3 090 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） who were diagnosed in Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital from January 2011 to December 2021 were enrolled， and according to the hepatitis markers， they were divided into hepatitis virus infection－associated HCC group with 2 472 patients and NBNC－HCC group with 618 patients. According to the liver disease and metabolic risk factors， the NBNC－HCC group was further divided into metabolic disorder HCC group with 289 patients， alcoholic liver disease （ALD）－associated HCC group with 174 patients， and other HCC group with 155 patients. General information， laboratory markers， and pathological findings were collected from all HCC patients. The Mann－Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups， and the Kruskal－Wallis H test was used for comparison between three groups； the chi－square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups， and the chi－square trend test was used to investigate the trend of the change in the proportion of NBNC－HCC in HCC. ResultsThe proportion of patients with NBNC－HCC in HCC increased from 13.7% in 2011 to 20.1% in 2021 （χ2=5.529， P=0.019）， and compared with the hepatitis virus infection－associated HCC group， the NBNC－HCC group had a significantly higher proportion of patients with diabetes （28.0% vs 10.3%， χ2=129.482， P<0.001） or hypertension （33.2% vs 15.2%， χ2=105.079， P<0.001）， a significantly lower proportion of patients with liver cirrhosis （44.5% vs 68.4%， χ2=122.563， P<0.001） or vascular invasion （20.4% vs 29.6%， χ2=7.749， P=0.005）， and a significantly higher body mass index （BMI） （Z=－4.015， P<0.001）. Compared with the ALD－HCC group， the metabolic disorder HCC group had a significantly higher BMI， a significantly lower FIB－4 index， and a significantly lower proportion of patients with liver cirrhosis （all P<0.05）. ConclusionThere is a tendency of increase in the proportion of patients with NBNC－HCC in HCC， and NBNC－HCC often coexists with metabolic risk factors such as obesity， diabetes， and hypertension. Patients in the metabolic disorder HCC group may develop liver cancer in the absence of liver cirrhosis or in the early stage of liver fibrosis.