Epidemiology of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Florida – Part I: A Statewide Report

Abstract

The increasing incidence ofhepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has become a burgeoning public health problem. The effect has been most notable at liver transplant centers. Traditional reports of liver cancer include many non-HCC variants. This study aims at determining the incidence of HCC in the state of Florida, utilizing data from Florida Cancer Data Systems. This study pertains exclusively to HCC. Of 2,296,794 cancer cases, 4,447 HCC and variants were identified (68.7%). Incidence rates were as follows. The incidence of HCC in the state of Florida was 6.1 cases /100,000 population/year; Male: 9.6/100,000 population/year vs. Female: 2.7; Whites: 6.5/100,000 population/year vs. Blacks: 5.3; Hispanics: 4.6/100,000 population/year vs. Non-Hispanics: 6.5. Limitations of the study included lack of etiology of liver disease, treatments and survival. The classification of tumors and under-reporting in the database are also concerns. The study elaborates on guide- lines for screening and diagnosis ofHCC. The incidence ofHCC in Florida in this study was three times higher than previous reports from 2 decades ago. This is the most updated study reporting the incidence of HCC in Florida, although data was 5 years old. The incidence of this cancer is expected to continue to increase over the next decade. The study is a preamble to so- cioeconomic and county studies currently being performed at this liver transplant center.