Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma in Xiamen

Objective

To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma in Xiamen and offer recommendations for its control and prevention. Methods: Data obtained from liver cancer screening in 2016–2018 and 2019–2020 in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in Xiamen were collected using Xiamen Healthcare Big Data Platform. Epidemiological characteristics were analyzed descriptively by different years. Results: From 2016–2020, there were 3740 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in Xiamen. In the patients, the percentage of males was higher than that of females (83.13 % vs 16.87 %). From 2019–2020, there was an increase in the detection rates for disorders including hepatitis B, hypertension, diabetes, fatty liver and cirrhosis of the liver, and there was a decrease in the prevalence of hepatitis C. There was an increase in the values of all hematological indicators of infection in patients with liver cancer in 2019–2020 compared with the previous three years. From 2016–2020, there was a year-on-year increase in the prevalence of liver cancer and fatty liver. From 2018–2020, there was an increasing trend in the prevalence of liver cancer in overweight patients in the population with fatty liver. Conclusion: In 2019–2020, there was an increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Comprehensive liver cancer screening provides an important guide for the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer and for clinicians to assess patients’ condition.