Liver cancer in Saudi Arabia: A registry-based nationwide descriptive epidemiological and survival analysis

Abstract

Liver cancer is a major worldwide health concern characterized by increasing rates of occurrence. It ranks as the sixth most prevalent form of cancer and is the third highest contributor to cancer-related fatalities globally. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology of liver cancer in Saudi Arabia and to analyze the factors associated with it. This retrospective medical record review included all the patients diagnosed with a liver cancer from January 2014 to December 2020. The incidence data were obtained and collected from the Saudi Cancer registry. The net survival percentage was obtained in global cancer observatory website of the International Agency for Research on Cancer. There were 3066 occurrences of liver cancer among Saudi Nationals during the years 2014 and 2020. The majority of patients consisted of males, accounting for 2105 individuals, which represents 68.7 % of the total. The predominant morphologies are Hepatocellular carcinoma (2520, 82.2 %), choliangocarcinoma (267, 8.7 %), Adenocarcinoma (5.1 %), and malignant neoplasm (3.4 %). The age-standardized incidence rate for males between 2014 and 2020 varied from 4.0 per 100,000 to 4.8 per 100,000, whilst for females it ranged from 1.5 per 100,000 to 2.4 per 100,000. The age-standardized incidence rate among Saudi nationals is 4.7 cases per 100,000, while the age-standardized mortality rate is 4.6 deaths per 100,000. Liver cancer is a significant global health problem, marked by its high occurrence and typically poor survival rates. By emphasizing risk factors, it enhances the implementation practices that may help to provide appropriate care to maximize favourable outcomes.