Key clinical point: Compared with other liver disease etiologies, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was associated with lower hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance receipt and early-stage detection, thus calling for interventions for increased surveillance implementation and improved prognosis of patients with NAFLD-related HCC.
Major finding: NAFLD vs. hepatitis C virus etiology was associated with a lower likelihood of consistent or inconsistent HCC surveillance receipt (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.37; 95% CI 0.32-0.44) and detection of early-stage HCC (aOR 0.49; 95% CI 0.40-0.60) and worse overall survival (adjusted hazard ratio 1.20; 95% CI 1.09-1.32).
Study details: This was a population-based cohort study of US Medicare beneficiaries including 5098 patients aged ≥68 years with HCC, which was attributable to NAFLD in most patients (35.6%).
Disclosures: The study was funded by the American College of Gastroenterology, US Department of Defense, and US National Institute of Health. Some authors reported being consultants, advisory board members, or shareholders of and receiving research grants from various organizations.
Source: Karim MA et al. Clinical characteristics and outcomes of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease–associated hepatocellular carcinoma in the United States. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2022 (Mar 17). Doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2022.03.010