The growth rate of hepatocellular carcinoma is different with different TNM stages at diagnosis

Abstract

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progresses fast and has a poor prognosis, but the growth rate in different TNM stages is not clear. The present study was to estimate the growth rate of HCC with different TNM stages at diagnosis.

Methods: Baseline demographics and tumor characteristics were analyzed for 10145 patients in Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program-registered HCC. Multiple linear regression models were used for age adjustment with patient race, sex, marital status, and HCC grade.

Results: The age at diagnosis was younger in Caucasians and males. The adjusted average age of patients with stage I HCC was 65.26 years. The adjusted age of patients with stage II, IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC was -0.17, -0.25, -0.29, and -0.55 adjusted-year younger compared with patients with stage I HCC (all P < 0.001). The adjusted average age of patients with T1 was 65.26 years. The age adjustment was -0.17, -0.26, and -0.55 respectively (all P < 0.001) for T2, T3 or T4 tumors without distant metastases.

Conclusions: These findings demonstrated that the more advanced the HCC stage at diagnosis, the younger the age at diagnosis and the faster the HCC growth from tumor occurrence.

Keywords: Growth rate; Hepatocellular carcinoma; SEER; TNM stage.