Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has an estimated annual incidance of 1,000,000 worldwise, and two-thirds are in patients from Asia, the south Pacific and subsaharan Africa. In Korea, there is evidence that incidance of HCC may be increasing like
other
country. This study was done to investigate clinical feature of HCC.
87 patients that was diagnosed Hcc, underwent laboratory study, ultrasonography, computed tomography and transhepatic arterial embolization(TAE) from July 1989 to June 1992.
These patients included 75 men (83.3%) and 12 women (16.7%) whose ages ranged from 32 to 79 years with average of 54.9 years.
Underlying cirrhosis of the liver was found in 53.4% of patients, alcohol abuse was present in 65.2%, heavy smoking was present in 69.2%.
Hepatitis B surface antigen was positive in 81%, IgG Hepatitis B core antibody was positive in 92.2%, and alpha-fetoprotein showed a high diagnostic sensitivity (values above 500 ng/mm3 in 73.2%).
TAE is the relatively effective method of mangement of HCC. The patients who recieved TAE had better prognosis.
HCC that have male predominant occurrance are successive sequale of chronic hepatitis B and C virus infection, and the quantitation of alpha-fetoprotein and advent of ultrasonography have made detection of hepatic mass possible. Therefore we have
suggested study using both alpha-fetoprotein and ultrasonography to screen for asymtomatic HCC in patients with chronic hepatitis.
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