Hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatic cirrhosis in Mexico: a 25 year necroscopy review

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common form of cancer which is found throughout the world. In recent years, the rates of HCC seem to have increased in European and North American countries. Herein, a retrospective review of necroscopy records over a 25-year period was undertaken in order to determine the incidence of HCC in a Mexican population.

A retrospective review of necroscopy records was performed to determine the incidence of HCC and then to determine the presence or absence of associated cirrhosis in these cases. The tumor/cirrhosis relationship was determined by computing the TC/T and TC/C indexes.

Of 12556 autopsies studied, 73 cases of histologically proven HCC were reported, representing a total necropsy carcinoma incidence of 0.59%. Fifty-five cases were associated with cirrhosis (0.43%), and 18 were not (0.14%). HCC was two times more common in males (67%) than in females (33%), with a ratio of 2:1. During this period, the necropsy incidence of HCC rose steadily to twice its original level (1965-69 incidence 0.35%; 1985-89 incidence 0.69%). The necropsy incidence of cirrhosis was 4% (329 males, 185 females). The overall TC/T index was 75% (87% for males and 50% for females). The overall TC/C index was 10.7% (13% for males and 6.4% for females).

There was a two-fold increase in the incidence of HCC in the Mexican population studied over a 25-year period. HCC was associated with cirrhosis in the majority of cases. HCC was two times more common in males than in females in patients with cirrhosis; in patients without cirrhosis, the ratio was 1:1. The incidence of cirrhosis was 4%, which remained unchanged with the passage of time.