Time trends in the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in liver cirrhosis. A retrospective necropsy study in a large Romanian town (1973-1992).

The present study retrospectively analyses all the necropsies (5, 112) performed in the two departments of pathology of a large Romanian town (Cluj-Napoca) during a ten-year interval (1983-1992) in order to estimate the prevalence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To evaluate the time trends of the association of HCC with liver cirrhosis, all cirrhotic subjects necropsied during two consecutive ten years intervals in one of the departments of pathology (Third Medical Clinic) were analysed. The prevalence of HCC was 8/100,000, with a derived incidence of 1.6/100,000 population/year. HCC was more frequent in males, and it occurred more frequently in cirrhotics (13.8%) than in noncirrhotics (0.6%) (p < 0.0001). The trends in the incidence of HCC in liver cirrhosis were evaluated for the 258 cirrhotic subjects necropsied during two ten year periods (1973-1982 and 1983-1992) in the Third Medical Clinic. HCC was found in cirrhotics older than 40 years, in proportions between 14 and 25% for the different age groups. There was an increasing tendency of HCC incidence in cirrhotic subjects over the last 20 years, significant for the 70-79 years age group. These data indicate a low incidence of HCC in our geographic area and suggest an increasing trend of the HCC association to liver cirrhosis over the last 20 years, more obvious in the advanced ages.