Increasing hepatitis C virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma mortality and aging: Long term trends in Japan.
BACKGROUND
The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Japan has been increasing. The aim of the study was to determine the epidemiological trends in HCC mortality in Japan.


METHODS
We reviewed the medical records of all patients whose death was caused by liver disease between 1981 and 2000 at two hospitals. The courses of death were separated based on presence or absence of HCC when death ensued. Additionally, cohorts of patients with HCC were analyzed in 5-year time periods.


RESULTS
The number of deaths from hepatitis C virus (HCV)-associated HCC steadily increased 2.6 times from 49 to 128 during observation period. The mean age at death from HCV-associated HCC from 1996 to 2000 was significantly higher than that in the period from 1981 to 1985 (p<0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Deaths from HCV-associated HCC increased from 1981 to 2000, consistent with the aging of the population in Japan.
Taura
Naota
N
Clinical Research Center, National Nagasaki Medical Center, Kubara 2-1001-1, Omura, Nagasaki 856-8562, Japan; The First Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Sakamoto 1-7-1, Nagasaki 852-8501 Japan.
Yatsuhashi
Hiroshi
H
Hamasaki
Keisuke
K
Nakao
Kazuhiko
K
Daikoku
Manabu
M
Ueki
Toshihito
T
Yano
Koji
K
Matsumoto
Takehiro
T
Ishibashi
Hiromi
H
Eguchi
Katsumi
K