FREQUENCY OF HEPATOMA IN HEPATITIS B AND C POSITIVE CIRRHOTIC PATIENTS

Objective: To find out the frequency of hepatoma in hepatitis B and C positive patients with liver cirrhosis.Mute rial and Methods: This descriptive study was conducted at Medical C unit of Postgraduate Medical Institute Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar on patients admitted from January 2004 to June 2006. Seven hundred and forty patients who had hepatitis B and C positive liver cirrhosis were included in the study. Patients were interviewed according to the prof or ma after fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Blood tests including liver function tests, coagulation profile and hepatitis B, C virus profile, ultrasound, serum alpha-fetoprotein level were done. Data was analyzed at the end of study.Results: Out of 740 patients with liver cirrhosis, 52 (7.03%) patients had hepatoma. Mean age 62.3 years. Male to female ratio was 6.4:1 .Thirty two percent of the patients were Hepatitis B surface antigen positive while and HCV antibody was found positive in 68% of the patients. Alpha-fetoprotein level was elevated in all the cases. Mean alpha fetoprotein level was >653.82. Mean tumour size was 5.41 cm. Tumour was unifocal in 48% of the patients while 52% of the cases had multifocal involvement. Right lobe was involved in 44%, left lobe in 6% while 50% of the patients had both lobes of the liver involved.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that hepatoma is more common in HCV related cirrhosis liver. It is a tumour of advanced age.