title: Epidemiology and clinical features of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma at a tertiary hospital in Jeddah.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study describes the epidemiology and clinical features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and it investigates any association between Child-Pugh's classification and HCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective chart review was performed for HCC cases diagnosed between 2008 and 2014 at King Abdulaziz University Hospital. We documented the age at cancer diagnosis, gender, occupation, ethnic origin, HCC etiology, Child-Pugh scores, tumor characteristics, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels at diagnosis, and treatment administered. The Chi-square test was used to determine differences between categorical variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We included 128 patients. Hepatitis B and C viral infections were documented in 24.2% and 33.6% of the patients, respectively. Patients with tumors >5 cm were more likely to have Child's Class C disease, whereas those with tumors ≤2 cm were more likely to have Child's Class A (P < 0.001). Similarly, patients with bilobular or metastatic tumors were more likely to have Child's Class C disease (P = 0.001 and 0.002, respectively). No difference in Child-Pugh score was found between patients with single or multiple tumors (P = 0.480). Furthermore, patients who were both hepatitis B and C positive were more likely to have Child's Class C disease (P = 0.018). Likewise, those who had abnormal AFP and ALP levels ≥1000 ng/mL were more likely to have Child-Pugh's Class C liver disease (P = 0.021 in both cases).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepatitis C and B infections were the main risk factors associated with HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Y A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Qari
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Mosli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase