Diabetes mellitus as a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma: A single-centre experience from South India

Abstract

Aim: Retrospective analysis of medical records to determine whether diabetes mellitus (DM) was a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and whether it enhances the neoplastic potential of hepatotropic virus-related chronic liver disease (CLD). Materials and Methods: Patients registered between April 2017 and March 2018 with a clinical diagnosis of HCC in a pre-existing CLD were included. Controls were patients with CLD registered during the same period but with no HCC. Prevalence of DM, hypertension and coronary artery disease (CAD) alone or in combinations was noted in the two groups. The odds ratio (OR) of developing HCC was calculated independently for DM, hepatitis B and hepatitis C infection alone and in combinations. Chi-square test, Mann–Whitney test and OR calculation were done. A P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The study population consisted of 150 cases of CLD with HCC and 812 controls (CLD with no HCC). CLD patients with HCC were significantly older (P < 0.0001) with a male preponderance, but no gender predisposition (P = NS). The overall prevalence of DM in patients with CLD was 31.9%, more significant amongst cases than in controls (50.7% vs. 28.7%) (P < 0.0001) and also for a significant duration (10.6 vs. 3.8 years; P < 0.03). Amongst the cases, comorbid conditions such as hypertension and CAD and diabetes in combination with hypertension and CAD was also more frequent among cases (P = 0.0001).The odds of developing HCC in CLD was higher for DM. The OR for HCC was highest for DM with hypertension and/or CAD at 4.69 (3.19–6.88, P < 0.0001). Conclusion: DM and other constituents of metabolic syndrome such as hypertension and CAD are significantly more common in CLD patients with HCC. DM is of prolonged duration and is a risk factor increasing the neoplastic potential of CLD.

Keywords

• Cancer
• cirrhosis
• diabetes
• liver