[Occurrence and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma]

Tomiura, a rural area of Chiba Prefecture in which community-based HCV screening has been carried out since 1991, is known as a high-incidence area of HCV. This study was conducted to clarify the clinical characteristics of subjects with positive HCV antibody titer found on mass survey, in relation to the development and outcome of hepatocellular carcinoma. We analyzed clinical data of patients with positive HCV antibody test results followed up for 9 to 11 years after the mass survey examinations. Among 171 patients, we identified 23 cases (13.5%) of hepatocellular carcinoma in a 9-year period. Correlations have been identified between the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma and those factors including gender, aminotranseferase levels, platelet count and ultrasound findings at the time of the first health screening, as well as patterns of fluctuation in aminotranseferase levels during the follow-up period. Among those patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, 11 patients survived for more than 5 years. The survival period has been found to be related to AST level at the time of first health screening, the findings in ultrasound scanning when the carcinoma was initially identified, and patterns of fluctuation in aminotranseferase levels subsequent to the first diagnosis.