Mexican consensus on the diagnosis and management of hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Introduction: There has been an increase in the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide and information on this disease is limited in Mexico. Aims: To analyze the available evidence on the diagnosis and treatment of HCC in the Mexican population. Material and methods: The Mexican Association of Hepatology organized a meeting that 24 medical specialists interested in HCC attended. An electronic database search was carried out to identify documents published from 2000 with the keywords «Hepatocellular carcinoma» and «Mexico», «epidemiology», «diagnosis», and «treatment». Results: The incidence of HCC in Mexico has increased over the last few decades. The mean age of disease presentation is in patients from 60 to 70 years old, and the man:woman ratio appears to be equal. HCC is frequently associated with underlying hepatopathy and the primary cause reported in our country is chronic hepatitis C virus) infection. Surveillance is recommended for high-risk groups in Child-Pugh stages A and B, and for those in stage C if the patient is on a waiting list or regarded as a candidate for liver transplantation. HCC should be evaluated by a multidisciplinary team of experts in the field.

Liver cancer in Hidalgo State, Mexico: analysis of the status, risk factors and regional public health policy requirements: a cross-sectional correlational study

“…In the population studied, the highest mortality rates were observed in the group aged > 60 years, which agrees with earlier data for Mexico. 8,10 In addition, both sexes seemed to suffer equally from HCC in 2014, 8 although most authors have reported higher mortality rates for men in Mexico 5,6 and Latin America. 2 In the present study in 2019, a higher death rate among women aged < 60 years was found in Hidalgo, although men were more affected than women in the three municipalities with the highest HCC death figures.…”

“…Better information might improve early detection and thus decrease morbidity and mortality among HCC patients. 7,8,10 I Hidalgo State, Mexico, had an economic complexity index (ECI) of -0.68 in 2021 and ranked 21 st among the country's 32 states, while the overall ECI for Mexico was 1.31 in 2020. Over 43.8% of Hidalgo's population live in poverty, and the average illiteracy rate in 2020 was 6.6%.…”