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Vol. 21. Issue 3.
Pages 367 (May - June 2017)
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Vol. 21. Issue 3.
Pages 367 (May - June 2017)
Letter to Editor
Open Access
Hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with B and C virus hepatitis without cirrhosis
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Kellyane Santana Dias Carvalho, Helma Pinchemel Cotrim
Corresponding author
helmacotrim@gmail.com

Corresponding author.
, Luciano Espinheira Fonseca Junior, Valéria Moreira, Érika Sirqueira
Universidade Federal da Bahia, Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, Programa de Pós Graduação em Medicina e Saúde, Bahia, BA, Brazil
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Dear Editor,

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent liver tumor and the third leading cause of death worldwide. In general, it is associated with cirrhosis, however 20% of patients with HCC have no cirrhosis.1

HCC in non-cirrhotic (HCC-NC) patients represents a challenge for physicians. There are no recommendations for including the majority of these patients in protocols for early screening for HCC and they are usually diagnosed in later stages of this tumor.

Chronic hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) viruses are considered the main etiologies of HCC-NC patients. The estimated prevalence is around 15–20% of the cases in areas of high prevalence.2 However, the prevention and treatment for B and C hepatitis have become more effective and this scenario is changing around the world.

We evaluated the frequency of HCC-NC at a reference center for liver disease in Northeast Brazil, where the prevalence of B and C is low.3

The study included 172 cases of HCC, which were diagnosed according to international criteria,4 and 16.2% (28) were HCC-NC. B and C virus were associated with 39.3% of the cases: 28.6% with HCV and 10.7% with HBV. The remaining HCC-NC cases were associated with alcohol consumption, nonalcoholic steatoepatitis, and cryptogenic disease.

In patients with HCC-NC related to B and C virus the mean age was 62.36±11.8 years and 82% of the cases were male. In 73% (19) of the tumors presented as single nodules and with a mean size of 5.35cm.

These findings show the relevance of HCC-NC related to HCV and HBV in an area of low prevalence of these virus. Improving the management of HCC in these non-cirrhotic patients is rather challenging and there is a need to discuss a surveillance protocol to screen for HCC in these patients.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References
[1]
M. Evert, F. Dombrowski.
Hepatocellular carcinoma in the non-cirrhotic liver.
Pathologe, 29 (2008), pp. 47-52
[2]
S. Van Meer, K.J. Erpecum van, D. Sprengers, et al.
Hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic versus noncirrhotic livers: results from a large cohort in the Netherlands.
Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol, 28 (2016 Mar), pp. 352-359
[3]
L.M. Pereira, C.M. Martelli, R.C. Moreira, et al.
Prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis C infectious in Brazil, 2005 through 2009: a cross-sectional study.
BMC Infect Dis, 13 (2013 Feb 1), pp. 60
[4]
European Association for the study of the liver, European Organization for Research and treatment of Cancer.
EASL-EORTC Clinical Practice Guidelines: management of hepatocellular carcinoma.
J Hepatol, 56 (2012), pp. 908-943
Copyright © 2017. Sociedade Brasileira de Infectologia
The Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases
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