Lower hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: Impact on treatment eligibility

This study aimed to compare the determinants and impact of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance rates for people with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) versus other chronic liver diseases. A dataset of HCC patients from a UK hospital (2007-2022) was analyzed. The Mann-Whitney U-test compared continuous variables. The χ and two-tailed Fisher exact tests compared categorical data. Regression modeling analyzed the impact of MASLD on the size and number of HCC nodules and curative treatment. The Cox proportional hazards model assessed the influence of MASLD on overall survival. A total of 176 of 687 (25.6%) HCC patients had MASLD. Fewer people with MASLD HCC were enrolled in HCC surveillance compared to non-MASLD HCC (38 [21.6%] vs 215 [42.1%], P