Hepatocellular carcinoma in Austria: aetiological and clinical characteristics at presentation

BACKGROUND AND AIMS METHODS RESULTS CONCLUSIONSIn this large single-centre series of HCC, the dominant contribution of HCV infection and chronic alcohol abuse as the underlying aetiology is documented. Diagnosis is usually made very late as reflected in the high proportion of patients in TNM stages 3 and 4 or Okuda stages 2 and 3. This resulted in a high percentage of patients who received palliative care only and very few who were eligible for treatment modalities with curative potential such as resection and liver transplantation. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 12:941-948