Abstracts of the 2023 Annual Meeting of the ALEH
More infoHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) related to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a growing health concern in Latin America. This region has a mixed population with a diverse heritage that is rarely accounted for when looking at epidemiological studies. We aimed to assess the differences in the epidemiology and outcomes of HCC in Latin Americans based on self-reported ancestry.
Materials and MethodsWe retrospectively evaluated data from the ESCALON network, which prospectively follows patients in South America. Self- reported ancestry data was categorized as European, Amerindian, African, Asian, Indigenous, or other. For this study we divided ancestry into two categories: European and non-European.
Results429 individuals with HCC from 6 countries were studied: Argentina (34% n=145), Chile (15% n=66), Ecuador (15% n=63), Peru (15% n=66), Colombia (14% n=60), and Brazil (7% n=29). The median age was 68 years and 65% were male. In those of European ancestry (31% n=131) median age was 66 years and 72% were male. In the non-European ancestry cohort (69% n=298) median age was 67 years and 62% were male. The most common causes of underlying liver disease were hepatitis C virus (38%), followed by alcohol use disorder (25%) in European ancestry and NAFLD (52%) followed by alcohol use disorder in non-European ancestry (23%). Both groups, European and non-European ancestry, had similar proportion of HCC diagnosed under surveillance (40% and 41% respectively) and similar presence of extrahepatic disease (47% and 50% respectively). 26% of those with European ancestry received curative therapy compared to 33% of those with non-European ancestry.
ConclusionsThis is the first study addressing ancestry in Latin Americans with HCC. We found that HCC related to NAFLD was more common in patients of non-European descent. Future studies are warranted to better understand the impact of genetics within specific regions of the continent to understand the risk of HCC.
