Characteristics, management, and outcomes of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in Africa: a multicountry observational study from the Africa Liver Cancer Consortium

Long-term Hepatitis B and Liver Outcomes Among Adults Taking Tenofovir-Containing Antiretroviral Therapy for HBV/HIV Coinfection in Zambia

BACKGROUND

Long-term outcomes of tenofovir-containing antiretroviral therapy (ART) for hepatitis B virus (HBV)/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection were evaluated in Zambia.

METHODS

A prospective cohort of adults with HIV and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positivity was enrolled at ART initiation. On tenofovir-containing ART, we ascertained HBV viral load (VL) non-suppression, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation, serologic end-points, progression of liver fibrosis based on elastography, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) incidence. We also described a subgroup (low HBV VL and no/minimal fibrosis at baseline) that, under current international guidelines, would not have been treated in the absence of their HIV infection.

RESULTS

Among 289 participants at ART start, median age was 34 years, 40.1% were women, median CD4 count was 191 cells/mm3, 44.2% were hepatitis B e antigen-positive, and 28.4% had liver fibrosis/cirrhosis. Over median 5.91 years of ART, 13.6% developed HBV viral non-suppression, which was associated with advanced HIV disease. ALT elevation on ART was linked with HBV VL non-suppression. Regression of fibrosis and cirrhosis were common, progression to cirrhosis was absent, and no cases of HCC were ascertained. HBsAg seroclearance was 9.4% at 2 and 15.4% at 5 years, with higher rates among patients with low baseline HBV replication markers.

CONCLUSIONS

Reassuring long-term liver outcomes were ascertained during tenofovir-based ART for HBV/HIV coinfection in Zambia. Higher than expected HBsAg seroclearance during ART underscores the need to include people with HIV in HBV cure research.

Hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance among people living with hepatitis B in Senegal (SEN-B): insights from a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the predominant cause of hepatocellular carcinoma in west Africa, yet data on the incidence of HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma remain scarce. We aimed to describe the uptake and early outcomes of systematic ultrasound-based hepatocellular carcinoma screening in SEN-B, which is a prospective HBV cohort in Senegal.

METHODS

In this prospective cohort study, we included treatment-naive, HBsAg-positive individuals who were referred to the two infectious diseases clinics (the Department of Tropical and Infectious Diseases and Ambulatory Treatment Center) at Fann University Hospital of Dakar, Senegal, between Oct 1, 2019, and Oct 31, 2022. All participants resided within the Dakar region. Participants underwent abdominal ultrasound, transient elastography, and clinical and virological assessments at inclusion and every 6 months. Liver lesions at least 1 cm in diameter on ultrasound were assessed using four-phase CT, MRI, or liver biopsy. Adherence to hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance was measured using the proportion of time covered, calculated by dividing the cumulative months covered by abdominal ultrasound examinations by the overall follow-up time, defined as the number of months from the date of cohort entry until the last recorded visit, hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis, or death. Optimal adherence was defined as a proportion of time covered of 100%.

FINDINGS

Overall, 755 (99·6%) of 758 participants had at least one abdominal ultrasound performed. The median age of the enrolled participants was 31 years (IQR 25-39), 355 (47·0%) of 755 participants were women, and 82 (10·9%) had a family history of hepatocellular carcinoma. 15 (2·0%) of 755 individuals were HBeAg positive, 206 (27·3%) of 755 individuals had HBV DNA of more than 2000 IU/mL, and 27 (3·6%) of 755 had elastography-defined liver cirrhosis. Of ten (1·3%) participants with a focal lesion at least 1 cm at initial assessment, CT or MRI ruled out hepatocellular carcinoma in nine, whereas imaging and subsequent liver biopsy confirmed one patient with hepatocellular carcinoma. Two further patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were diagnosed at study presentation due to the presence of portal thrombosis on ultrasound. Excluding the three participants with hepatocellular carcinoma identified at baseline, 752 participants were eligible for screening every 6 months. Median follow-up time was 12 months (IQR 6-18) and the median number of ultrasounds per patient was 3 (2-4). During 809·5 person-years of follow-up, one incident hepatocellular carcinoma was reported, resulting in an incidence rate of 1·24 cases per 1000 person-years (95% CI 0·18-8·80). Overall, 702 (93·0%) of 755 participants showed optimal hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance, but this proportion decreased to 77·8% (42 of 54 participants) after 24 months.

INTERPRETATION

Hepatocellular carcinoma screening is feasible in HBV research cohorts in west Africa, but its longer-term acceptability needs to be evaluated. Long-term hepatocellular carcinoma incidence data are crucial for shaping tailored screening recommendations.

FUNDING

Swiss National Science Foundation, the Swiss Cancer Research Foundation, the National Cancer Institute, and Roche Diagnostics.

TRANSLATION

For the French translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Geographic disparities in access to liver transplant for advanced cirrhosis: Time to ring the alarm!

Decompensated cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer are major risk factors for mortality worldwide. Liver transplantation (LT), both live-donor LT or deceased-donor LT, are lifesaving, but there are several barriers toward equitable access. These barriers are exacerbated in the setting of critical illness or acute-on-chronic liver failure. Rates of LT vary widely worldwide but are lowest in lower-income countries owing to lack of resources, infrastructure, late disease presentation, and limited donor awareness. A recent experience by the Chronic Liver Disease Evolution and Registry for Events and Decompensation consortium defined these barriers toward LT as critical in determining overall survival in hospitalized cirrhosis patients. A major focus should be on appropriate, affordable, and early cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer care to prevent the need for LT. Live-donor LT is predominant across Asian countries, whereas deceased-donor LT is more common in Western countries; both approaches have unique challenges that add to the access disparities. There are many challenges toward equitable access but uniform definitions of acute-on-chronic liver failure, improving transplant expertise, enhancing availability of resources and encouraging knowledge between centers, and preventing disease progression are critical to reduce LT disparities.

Catalysing global surgery: a meta-research study on factors affecting surgical research collaborations with Africa

INTRODUCTION

In December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the urgent need for rapid collaboration, research, and interventions. International research collaborations foster more significant responses to rapid global changes by enabling international, multicentre research, decreasing biases, and increasing study validity while reducing overall research time and costs. However, there has been low uptake of collaborative research by African institutions and individuals.

AIM

To systematically review facilitating factors and challenges to collaborative surgical research studies conducted in Africa.

METHODOLOGY

A meta-research review using PubMed®/MEDLINE and Embase on surgical collaboration in Africa from 1st of January 2011 to 31st of September 2021 in accordance to PRISMA guidelines. Surgical studies by collaborative groups involving African authors and sites were included (55 papers). Data on the study period, geographical regions, and research scope, facilitating factors, and challenges were extracted from the studies retrieved from the search.

RESULTS

Most of the collaborations in Africa occurred with European institutions (76%). Of the 54 African countries, 63% (34/54) participated in surgical collaborations. The highest collaboration frequency occurred in South Africa (11%) and Nigeria (8%). However, most publications originated from Eastern Africa (43%). Leveraging synergies between high- and low- to middle-income countries (LMICs), well-defined structures, and secure data platforms facilitated collaboration. However, the underrepresentation of collaborators from LMICs was a significant challenge.

CONCLUSION

Available literature provides critical insights into the facilitating factors and challenges of research collaboration with Africa. However, there is a need for a detailed prospective study to explore the themes highlighted further.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO 2022 CRD42022352115 .

Skull Metastasis With Orbital Invasion as a Primary Manifestation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common worldwide cancer with a poor prognosis despite treatment advancements. Patients typically exhibit signs and symptoms pertaining to the liver. Extrahepatic metastasis of HCC is documented to be as low as 5% of cases. Bone metastasis ranks third following lungs and regional lymph nodes. The typical locations for bone metastasis include the vertebral column, pelvis, femora, and ribs, with skull metastasis, being reported in less than 1.6% of cases. Herein, we describe a case of HCC presenting with skull metastases and orbital invasion as the initial manifestation.

Hepatocellular carcinoma risk in sub-Saharan African and Afro-Surinamese individuals with chronic hepatitis B living in Europe

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Sub-Saharan African (SSA) ethnicity has been associated with a higher risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among individuals with chronic hepatitis B in cross-sectional studies. However, the incidence of HCC and performance of HCC risk scores in this population are unknown.

METHODS

We conducted an international multicenter retrospective cohort study of all consecutive HBV-monoinfected individuals of SSA or Afro-Surinamese (AS) ethnicity managed at sites in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Spain. We assessed the 5- and 10-year cumulative incidences of HCC in the overall study population, among different clinically relevant subgroups and across (m)PAGE-B subgroups. Next, we explored the different risk factors for HCC.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 8 years, we analyzed 1,473 individuals of whom 34 developed HCC. The 5- and 10-year cumulative incidences of HCC were 1% and 2.4%. The 10-year cumulative incidence of HCC was 0.7% among individuals without advanced fibrosis at baseline, compared to 12.1% among individuals with advanced fibrosis (p <0.001). Higher age (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.05), lower platelet count (aHR 0.98), lower albumin level (aHR 0.90) and higher HBV DNA log10 (aHR 1.21) were significantly associated with HCC development. The 10-year cumulative incidence of HCC was 0.5% among individuals with a low PAGE-B score, compared to 2.9% in the intermediate- and 15.9% in the high-risk groups (p <0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In this unique international multicenter cohort of SSA and AS individuals with chronic hepatitis B, we observed 5- and 10-year cumulative HCC risks of 1% and 2.4%, respectively. The risk of HCC was negligible for individuals without advanced fibrosis at baseline, and among individuals with low baseline (m)PAGE-B scores. These findings can be used to guide HCC surveillance strategies.

IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS

Sub-Saharan African ethnicity has been associated with a higher risk of hepatocellular carcinoma among individuals with chronic hepatitis B. In this international multicenter cohort study of sub-Saharan African and Afro-Surinamese individuals living with chronic hepatitis B in Europe, we observed 5- and 10-year cumulative incidences of hepatocellular carcinoma of 1% and 2.4%, respectively. The risk was negligible among individuals without advanced fibrosis and a low baseline (m)PAGE-B score. These findings can be used to guide HCC surveillance strategies in this population.

HBV elimination in Africa-Current status and challenges

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The management and outcomes of hepatocellular carcinoma in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This systematic review aimed to appraise all population-based studies describing the management and outcomes of HCC in SSA.

METHODS

A systematic review based on a search in PubMed, PubMed Central, Scopus, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), AfricaWide and Cochrane up to June 2023 was performed. PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews were followed. The study protocol was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (registration no: CRD42022363955).

RESULTS

Thirty-nine publications from 15 of 48 SSA countries were identified; 3989 patients were studied. The majority (74%) were male, with median ages ranging from 28 to 54 years. Chronic Hepatitis B infection was a leading aetiology and non-cirrhotic HCC was frequently reported. Curative treatment (liver resection, transplantation and ablation) was offered to 6% of the cohort. Most patients (84%) received only best supportive care (BSC), with few survivors at one year.

CONCLUSION

The majority of SSA countries do not have data reporting outcomes for HCC. Most patients receive only BSC, and curative treatment is seldom available in the region. Outcomes are poor compared to high-income countries.

Age-specific and sex-specific risks for HCC in African-born persons with chronic hepatitis B without cirrhosis

BACKGROUND

The international recommendations of HCC surveillance for African-born persons with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) without cirrhosis are divergent, probably due to scarce data on incidence rate (IR) for HCC.

METHODS

We assembled a cohort with prospectively collected data of Swedish residents of African origin with diagnosed CHB without cirrhosis at baseline from 1990 to 2015. Data from nationwide registers were used to calculate the sex-specific IR and IR ratio (incidence rate ratios) in relation to age, comorbidities, and birth region, using a generalized linear model with a log-link function and Poisson distribution.

RESULTS

Among 3865 African-born persons with CHB without cirrhosis at baseline, 31 (0.8%; 77.4% men) developed HCC during a median of 11.1 years of follow-up, with poor survival after HCC diagnosis. The mean age at HCC diagnosis was 46.8 (SD±14.7; range 23-79) in men. HCC IR exceeded the recommended surveillance threshold of 0.2%/year at ages 54 and 59 years in men and women, respectively, and at ages 20-40 years if HCV or HDV co-infection was present. African-born men with CHB had an incidence rate ratios of 10.6 (95% CI 4.4-31.5) for HCC compared to matched African-born peers without CHB, and an incidence rate ratios of 35.3 (95% CI 16.0-88.7) compared to a matched general population.

CONCLUSIONS

African-born men with CHB without cirrhosis reached an IR of 0.2%/year between 50 and 60 years, and at younger ages if HCV or HDV co-infection was present. Our findings need further confirmation, and new cost-effectiveness analyses specific for young populations are needed, to provide personalized and cost-effective HCC surveillance.

Non-Invasive Prediction Scores for Hepatitis B Virus- and Hepatitis D Virus-Infected Patients-A Cohort from the North-Eastern Part of Romania

Approximately 62-72 million people are infected worldwide with HDV. Patients with chronic hepatitis D (CHD) have a higher risk of developing cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and an increased mortality rate compared to those with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The stage of liver fibrosis or the risk of developing HCC can also be estimated by non-invasive scores, which are cost effective, easier to apply, and reproducible. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the predictive value of four non-invasive scores (FIB-4, APRI, AST/ALT ratio, and aMAP) in assessing severe fibrosis/cirrhosis and the presence of HCC in patients with HBV/HDV superinfection, as compared with HBV mono-infection. Our 8-year retrospective analysis revealed that HDV-infected patients had a 2-3 times higher risk of developing cirrhosis and HCC than HBV-mono-infected subjects. High AST and ALT baseline levels qualified as independent predictors for cirrhosis development in both groups. The following fibrosis scores, FIB-4, APRI score, and AAR, were significantly increased when cirrhosis was present at baseline and showed a good prediction for developing cirrhosis in the CHD group. The aMAP score, a risk predictor for HCC, showed significantly higher values in patients with HCC in both groups. Nonetheless, non-invasive scores should always be considered for monitoring patients with CHB and CHD, but only when associated with other diagnosis methods.

A new approach to prevent, diagnose, and treat hepatitis B in Africa

There are 82 million people living with hepatitis B (PLWHB) in the World Health Organization Africa region, where it is the main cause of liver disease. Effective vaccines have been available for over 40 years, yet there are 990,000 new infections annually, due to limited implementation of hepatitis B birth dose vaccination and antenatal tenofovir prophylaxis for highly viraemic women, which could eliminate mother-to-child transmission. Despite effective and cheap antiviral treatment which can suppress hepatitis B virus replication and reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), < 2% of PLWHB are diagnosed, and only 0.1% are treated. As a result, PLWHB are frequently diagnosed only when they have already developed decompensated cirrhosis and late-stage HCC, and consequently 80,000 hepatitis B-associated deaths occur each year. Major barriers include complex treatment guidelines which were derived from high-income settings, lack of affordable diagnostics, lack or insufficient domestic funding for hepatitis care, and limited healthcare infrastructure. Current treatment criteria may overlook patients at risk of cirrhosis and HCC. Therefore, expanded and simplified treatment criteria are needed. We advocate for decentralized community treatment programmes, adapted for low-resource and rural settings with limited laboratory infrastructure. We propose a strategy of treat-all except patients fulfilling criteria that suggest low risk of disease progression. Expanded treatment represents a financial challenge requiring concerted action from policy makers, industry, and international donor agencies. It is crucial to accelerate hepatitis B elimination plans, integrate hepatitis B care into existing healthcare programmes, and prioritize longitudinal and implementation research to improve care for PLWHB.

Five-year results of a treatment program for chronic hepatitis B in Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

In sub-Saharan Africa, less than 1% of treatment-eligible chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients receive antiviral therapy. Experiences from local CHB programs are needed to inform treatment guidelines and policies on the continent. Here, we present 5-year results from one of the first large-scale CHB treatment programs in sub-Saharan Africa.

METHODS

Adults with CHB were enrolled in a pilot treatment program in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 2015. Liver enzymes, viral markers, and transient elastography were assessed at baseline and thereafter at 6-month intervals. Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate was initiated based on the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) criteria, with some modifications. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

In total, 1303 patients were included in the program, of whom 291 (22.3%) started antiviral therapy within the initial 5 years of follow-up. Among patients on treatment, estimated 5-year hepatocellular carcinoma-free survival was 99.0% in patients without cirrhosis at baseline, compared to 88.8% in patients with compensated cirrhosis, and 54.2% in patients with decompensated cirrhosis (p < 0.001). The risk of death was significantly higher in patients with decompensated cirrhosis at baseline (adjusted hazard ratio 44.6, 95% confidence interval 6.1-328.1) and in patients older than 40 years (adjusted hazard ratio 3.7, 95% confidence interval 1.6-8.5). Liver stiffness declined significantly after treatment initiation; the median change from baseline after 1, 3, and 5 years of treatment was - 4.0 kPa, - 5.2 kPa, and - 5.6 kPa, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot program demonstrates the long-term benefits of CHB therapy in a resource-limited setting. The high mortality in patients with cirrhosis underscores the need for earlier detection of CHB and timely initiation of antiviral treatment in sub-Saharan Africa.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02344498) on January 26, 2015.

Clinical manifestation, staging and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in Gambian patients

BACKGROUND

As a result of the lack of screening programs and the difficulty in making a proper diagnosis, the majority of hepatocellular carcinoma (HHC) patients present late in low-resource countries. The study therefore assesses the clinical features, stage and prognostic variables of patients with HCC in The Gambia.

METHODS

From December 2015 to January 2019, patients with a confirmed diagnosis of HCC were enrolled. All patients' medical history, ultrasound scan, FibroScan and laboratory details were collected.

RESULTS

Two hundred and sixty (260) patients were enrolled. The mean age of HCC patients was 40 years, and 210 (80.7%) of them were male. The most common gastrointestinal symptoms were early satiety 229 (88.1%) and abdominal pain 288 (87.7%), while the most common constitutional symptoms were weight loss 237 (91.2%) and easy fatiguability 237 (91.2%). Hepatomegaly 205 (78.8%) was the most common sign. On ultrasound scan, lesions were mostly multifocal 175 (67.3%), and the median FibroScan score was 75 kPa. The median fibrosis 4 and aspartate transferase platelet ratio index were 4.6 and 2.2, respectively. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was positive in 170 (65.4%) patients, and the median AFP level was 3263 ng/ml. HCC patients with positive HBsAg were more likely to be male 145 (85.3%) vs 62 (72.1%) (p = 0.011), much younger 39.9 vs 51.4 yrs (p =  < 0.0001), more likely to have abdominal pain 156 (91.8%) vs 68 (79.1%) (p = 0.002), jaundice 78 (45.9%) vs 29 (33.7%) (p = 0.042), dark urine 117 (68.8%) vs 46 (53.5%) (p = 0.018), raised transaminases (Aspartate transaminases 224.5 (32-7886) vs 153 (18-610), p =  < 0.01, Alanine transferases 71 (5-937) vs 47 (8-271), p =  < 0.001) and decreased platelet count 207 (33-941) vs 252 (52- 641) (p = 0.021) compared to patients with HCC who were HBsAg-negative.

CONCLUSIONS

The prognosis of patients with HCC is poor in developing countries such as The Gambia, where screening programs and treatment modalities are scarce. Young males are disproportionately affected, and HBV is a major cause of HCC in The Gambia.

Is Screening for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Effective?

Hepatocellular carcinoma occurs primarily in patients with cirrhosis and is an important cause of cancer death. Screening for hepatocellular carcinoma every 6 months with ultrasound with or without alpha fetoprotein measurement is recommended by multiple professional societies. There are no randomized controlled trials in patients with cirrhosis documenting the effectiveness of screening in improving survival, however, making screening controversial. There are multiple retrospective and cohort studies, as well as pooled analyses that do show an association of screening with earlier stage at diagnosis, increased receipt of curative intent treatment, and improved overall survival. Though these studies are limited by lead and length time biases, they make compelling arguments in favor of screening. Additional research into barriers to receiving screening, barriers to receiving treatment, and the optimal screening modalities given the shift of cirrhosis etiology in the United States are needed to further improve patient outcomes.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in The Gambia, west Africa: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Chronic liver disease is a major cause of premature death in sub-Saharan Africa. Efficacy of antiviral therapy among patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related cirrhosis is not well established in Africa. We described the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in The Gambia and assessed the impact of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) on survival of HBV-infected patients with cirrhosis.

METHODS

In this prospective cohort study, we followed up adults who were consecutively diagnosed with cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma between 2012 and 2015 in The Gambia, west Africa. Patients with chronic HBV infection and cirrhosis, without hepatocellular carcinoma, were offered TDF. Primary outcome was overall survival. To determine the effect of TDF on survival, we performed a Cox proportional hazard regression model with inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) based on propensity score.

FINDINGS

Of 529 patients enrolled in this study, 336 patients (252 with hepatocellular carcinoma and 84 with cirrhosis) were analysed. Patients were predominantly male (253 [75%] men and 83 [25%] women), with a median age of 42 years (IQR 33-55). 276 (84%) of 327 of patients with data were positive for HBV biomarkers, 31 (10%) of 311 were positive for hepatitis C virus antibodies, and 22 (10%) of 223 were positive for hepatitis D virus antibodies. 64% of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma had multifocal tumour, with a median size of 7·5 cm (IQR 5·4-10·8). 173 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and 70 patients with cirrhosis were included in the survival analysis. Median survival was 1·5 months (95% CI 1·1-2·0) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and 17·1 months (11·2-24·0) in patients with cirrhosis (log-rank p<0·0001). In patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, ascites (hazard ratio [HR] 1·78, 95% CI 1·21-2·60), partial or complete portal thrombosis (HR 2·61, 1·58-4·30), and platelet count (HR 1·80, 1·19-2·70) were independent predictive factors of mortality at baseline. In HBV-infected patients with cirrhosis, median turnaround time between cirrhosis diagnosis and TDF initiation was 4·9 months (IQR 3·2-7·3). In IPTW analysis, TDF treatment was associated with improved survival in patients with HBV-related cirrhosis (adjusted HR 0·14, 0·06-0·34; p<0·0001).

INTERPRETATION

These results highlight poor survival of patients with cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma as well as the effectiveness of TDF in reducing the premature mortality of patients with cirrhosis and HBV infection. Interventions for early diagnosis and treatment of cirrhosis as well as screening programmes for hepatocellular carcinoma are urgently required in Africa.

FUNDING

European Commission and Medical Research Council UK.

TRANSLATION

For the French translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Africa Guidelines for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Buildup Process

PURPOSE

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the fourth most common cancer in Africa, has a dismal overall survival of only 3 months like in sub-Saharan Africa. This is affected by the low gross domestic product and human development index, absence of coherent guidelines, and other factors.

METHODS

An open forum for HCC-experienced health care workers from Africa and the rest of the world was held in October 2021. Participants completed a survey to help assess the real-life access to screening, diagnoses, and treatment in the North and Southern Africa (NS), East and West Africa (EW), Central Africa (C), and the rest of the world.

RESULTS

Of 461 participants from all relevant subspecialties, 372 were from Africa. Most African participants provided hepatitis B vaccination and treatment for hepatitis B and C. More than half of the participants use serum alpha-fetoprotein and ultrasound for surveillance. Only 20% reported using image-guided diagnostic liver biopsy. The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer is the most used staging system (52%). Liver transplant is available for only 28% of NS and 3% EW. C reported a significantly lower availability of resection. Availability of local therapy ranged from 94% in NS to 62% in C. Sorafenib is the most commonly used systemic therapy (66%). Only 12.9% reported access to other medications including immune checkpoint inhibitors. Besides 42% access to regorafenib in NS, second-line treatments were not provided.

CONCLUSION

Similarities and differences in the care for patients with HCC in Africa are reported. This reconfirms the major gaps in access and availability especially in C and marginally less so in EW. This is a call for concerted multidisciplinary efforts to achieve and sustain a reduction in incidence and mortality from HCC in Africa.

Pathway to global elimination of hepatitis B: HBV cure is just the first step

Hepatitis B (HBV) is a major cause of global morbidity and mortality, and the leading cause of liver cancer worldwide. Significant advances have recently been made toward the development of a finite HBV treatment that achieves permanent loss of HBsAg and HBV DNA (so-called "HBV cure"), which could provide the means to eliminate HBV as a public health threat. However, the HBV cure is just one step toward achieving WHO HBV elimination targets by 2030, and much work must be done now to prepare for the successful implementation of the HBV cure. In this review, we describe the required steps to rapidly scale-up future HBV cure equitably. We present key actions required for successful HBV cure implementation, integrated within the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Health Sector Strategy (GHSS) 2022-2030 framework. Finally, we highlight what can be done now to progress toward the 2030 HBV elimination targets using available tools to ensure that we are preparing, but not waiting, for the cure.

Changes in the Etiologies of Liver Cancer in Upper Egypt over a Decade from 2010 to 2020: A Single Tertiary Care Center Study

The profile of liver diseases in Egypt is changing dramatically and viral hepatitis is declining, while the fatty liver disease is increasing dramatically. However, the impact of these changes on the profile of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains uncertain. Therefore, we determined the temporal trends in the etiologies of HCC in Egypt over a decade. We retrospectively analyzed data from consecutive patients who were diagnosed with HCC over 10 years (2010–2020) in a large center in Upper Egypt. Standard tests were utilized to diagnose hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus. In the absence of other liver disorders, the presence of obesity, or diabetes in the absence of other risk factors, metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) was diagnosed. A total of 1,368 HCC patients were included, in which 985 (72%) had HCV, 58 (4%) had hepatitis B virus, and 143 (10.5%) had MAFLD, 1 patient had hemochromatosis, 1 had autoimmune liver disease, and 180 (13%) patients were with unknown cause. The annual proportions of MAFLD-related HCC were increased significantly between 8.3% in 2010 and 20.6% in 2020 (p = 0.001), while HCV-related HCC declined from 84.8 to 66.7% (p = 0.001). Throughout the study period, there were significant increases in the age at diagnosis of HCC, the proportion of female patients, obesity, diabetes, and less severe liver dysfunction at diagnosis (p < 0.05 for all). With the decline of HCV, MAFLD is becoming a major cause of HCC in Egypt, which has increased substantially over the past 10 years. This study urges the creation of comprehensive action strategies to address this growing burden.

Locoregional Thermal and Chemical Tumor Ablation: Review of Clinical Applications and Potential Opportunities for Use in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

This review highlights opportunities to develop accessible ablative therapies to reduce the cancer burden in LMICs.

Global epidemiology of cirrhosis - aetiology, trends and predictions

Cirrhosis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in people with chronic liver disease worldwide. In 2019, cirrhosis was associated with 2.4% of global deaths. Owing to the rising prevalence of obesity and increased alcohol consumption on the one hand, and improvements in the management of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infections on the other, the epidemiology and burden of cirrhosis are changing. In this Review, we highlight global trends in the epidemiology of cirrhosis, discuss the contributions of various aetiologies of liver disease, examine projections for the burden of cirrhosis, and suggest future directions to tackle this condition. Although viral hepatitis remains the leading cause of cirrhosis worldwide, the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and alcohol-associated cirrhosis are rising in several regions of the world. The global number of deaths from cirrhosis increased between 2012 and 2017, but age-standardized death rates (ASDRs) declined. However, the ASDR for NAFLD-associated cirrhosis increased over this period, whereas ASDRs for other aetiologies of cirrhosis declined. The number of deaths from cirrhosis is projected to increase in the next decade. For these reasons, greater efforts are required to facilitate primary prevention, early detection and treatment of liver disease, and to improve access to care.

HBV screening among West Africans living in the US: Influences of stigma, health literacy, and self-efficacy

BACKGROUND

Applying theoretically informed constructs using an adaptation of the "Theory of Planned Behavior," this study assessed social-cognitive and sociocultural determinants of HBV screening among West Africans living in the US to inform solutions to testing gaps.

METHODS

We developed and administered a theory-based survey in both English (41%) and French (59%) from September 2021 to April 2022 to a sample of West African-born individuals (n = 162). Predictors of HBV screening included: attitudes, perceived behavioral control or self-efficacy, and subjective norms along with health literacy (HL), language proficiency, and stigma of HBV infection. We hypothesized that these constructs would predict HBV testing. We also conducted path analytic modeling to better understand both direct and indirect effects of key factors on HBV screening status.

RESULTS

West Africans who completed the survey in English were younger with less education and lower income, whereas those who completed the survey in French reported higher HBV-related stigma. In a bivariate analysis of factors associated with HBV screening by language, less education was associated with lower HBV screening in English speakers. Adequate HL, higher self-efficacy, and higher English language proficiency were independently associated with HBV screening. Path analysis to better understand the interplay between social-cognitive and sociocultural factors revealed HL and stigma both had indirect effects on screening, mediated by differences in self-efficacy.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified HL and stigma as key indirect factors that influence HBV screening by way of self-efficacy in West Africans in the US. This work is a first step to identifying barriers that can lead to the development of an evidence-based intervention aimed at increasing HBV screening of West Africans to address health disparities.

Recent Advances in Anticancer Activity of Novel Plant Extracts and Compounds from Curcuma longa in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

PURPOSE

Among all forms of cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide. There are several treatment options for HCC ranging from loco-regional therapy to surgical treatment. Yet, there is high morbidity and mortality. Recent research focus has shifted towards more effective and less toxic cancer treatment options. Curcumin, the active ingredient in the Curcuma longa plant, has gained widespread attention in recent years because of its multifunctional properties as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer agent.

METHODS

A systematic search of PubMed, Embase and Google Scholar was performed for studies reporting incidence of HCC, risk factors associated with cirrhosis and experimental use of curcumin as an anti-cancer agent.

RESULTS

This review exclusively encompasses the anti-cancer properties of curcumin in HCC globally and it's postulated molecular targets of curcumin when used against liver cancers.

CONCLUSIONS

This review is concluded by presenting the current challenges and future perspectives of novel plant extracts derived from C. longa and the treatment options against cancers.

The impact of HIV infection on clinical presentation and mortality among persons with hepatocellular carcinoma in Kampala, Uganda

BACKGROUND

HIV infection is associated with more rapid progression of some comorbidities. This study assessed the impact of HIV-infection on the presentation and outcome of HCC.

METHODS

HCC patients attending the Mulago National Referral Hospital in Uganda were enrolled into a natural history study of HCC between March 2015 and February 2019. Standardized methods were used to collect clinical, ultrasound and laboratory data at enrolment. HCC cases were confirmed and enrolled based on a combination of clinical, ultrasound, tumor marker and pathology data. Follow-up contact was made at one, three, six, and twelve months post-enrolment to determine vital status. Symptoms and signs at diagnosis and subsequent survival were compared by HIV status. Kaplan Meier curves were used to assess HCC survival.

RESULTS

Of 441 persons with HCC, 383 (87.0%) died within 12 months following HCC diagnosis. The median (IQR) survival was 42 (20, 106) days. HIV infection was present in 79 (18%) cases. After adjusting for baseline demographic and clinical characteristics, HIV infection was associated with increased mortality but only among those with severe HIV-associated immunosuppression (CD4 count < 200 cells per cubic milliliter), aHR (95% C) = 2.12 (1.23-3.53), p = 0.004, and not among PLWH with ≥ 200 CD4 cells per cubic milliliter, aHR (95% C) = 1.15 (0.82-1.60), p = 0.417.

CONCLUSION

Among relatively young Ugandans, HCC is a devastating disease with rapid mortality that is especially rapid among people living with HIV(PLWH). HIV was associated with slightly higher mortality, notably among PLWH with lower CD4 cell counts. As a substantial majority of PLWH diagnosed with HCC were engaged in HIV care, further investigation should determine the effectiveness of incorporating screening and early identification of HCC among high-risk individuals into existing HIV care programs. Concurrent with growing access to curative localized treatment for HCC in sub-Saharan Africa, leveraging HIV care infrastructure affords opportunities for earlier HCC intervention.

Viral Hepatitis Among African Immigrants with Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Minnesota: High Prevalence Yet Low Awareness

We aimed to study the virologic profile of immigrants from Africa with viral hepatitis-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who received care at our institution. We conducted a descriptive study among African-born patients with HCC who received care at University of Minnesota Medical Center from 2011 to 2018. We analyzed the prevalence, virologic profiles and treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections prior to HCC diagnosis. 74 African-born patients with HCC were eligible for analysis. 54 had HCV and 20 had HBV infection. 80% of HBV patients were treated but remained with inadequate viral suppression at the time of HCC diagnosis while only 39% of HCV patients were treated prior to HCC diagnosis. Lost to follow up was common in both groups. Our findings suggest that there is a significant gap in appropriate viral hepatitis care in an African immigrant population in Minnesota. Culturally-appropriate strategies are needed to bridge this gap.

Health disparities in chronic liver disease

The syndemic of hazardous alcohol consumption, opioid use, and obesity has led to important changes in liver disease epidemiology that have exacerbated health disparities. Health disparities occur when plausibly avoidable health differences are experienced by socially disadvantaged populations. Highlighting health disparities, their sources, and consequences in chronic liver disease is fundamental to improving liver health outcomes. There have been large increases in alcohol use disorder in women, racial and ethnic minorities, and those experiencing poverty in the context of poor access to alcohol treatment, leading to increasing rates of alcohol-associated liver diseases. Rising rates of NAFLD and associated fibrosis have been observed in Hispanic persons, women aged > 50, and individuals experiencing food insecurity. Access to viral hepatitis screening and linkage to treatment are suboptimal for racial and ethnic minorities and individuals who are uninsured or underinsured, resulting in greater liver-related mortality and later-stage diagnoses of HCC. Data from more diverse cohorts on autoimmune and cholestatic liver diseases are lacking, supporting the need to study the contemporary epidemiology of these disorders in greater detail. Herein, we review the existing literature on racial and ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic disparities in chronic liver diseases using a social determinants of health framework to better understand how social and structural factors cause health disparities and affect chronic liver disease outcomes. We also propose potential solutions to eliminate disparities, outlining health-policy, health-system, community, and individual solutions to promote equity and improve health outcomes.

Global burden of Liver Disease: 2023 Update

Liver disease accounts for 2 million deaths and is responsible for 4% of all deaths (1 out of every 25 deaths worldwide); approximately 2/3 of all liver related deaths occur in men. Deaths are largely attributable to complications of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, with acute hepatitis accounting for a smaller proportion of deaths. The most common causes of cirrhosis worldwide are related to viral hepatitis, alcohol, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Hepatotropic viruses are the etiological factor in most cases of acute hepatitis, but drug-induced liver injury increasingly accounts for a significant proportion of cases. This iteration of the global burden of liver disease is an update of the 2019 version and focuses mainly on areas where significant new information is available like alcohol-associated liver disease, NAFLD, viral hepatitis, and HCC. We also devote a separate section to the burden of liver disease in Africa, an area of the world typically neglected in such documents.

Malignancy and viral infections in Sub-Saharan Africa: A review

The burden of malignancy related to viral infection is increasing in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In 2018, approximately 2 million new cancer cases worldwide were attributable to infection. Prevention or treatment of these infections could reduce cancer cases by 23% in less developed regions and about 7% in developed regions. Contemporaneous increases in longevity and changes in lifestyle have contributed to the cancer burden in SSA. African hospitals are reporting more cases of cancer related to infection (e.g., cervical cancer in women and stomach and liver cancer in men). SSA populations also have elevated underlying prevalence of viral infections compared to other regions. Of 10 infectious agents identified as carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, six are viruses: hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV, respectively), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV), Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), and Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV, also known as human herpesvirus type 8, HHV-8). Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) also facilitates oncogenesis. EBV is associated with lymphomas and nasopharyngeal carcinoma; HBV and HCV are associated with hepatocellular carcinoma; KSHV causes Kaposi's sarcoma; HTLV-1 causes T-cell leukemia and lymphoma; HPV causes carcinoma of the oropharynx and anogenital squamous cell cancer. HIV-1, for which SSA has the greatest global burden, has been linked to increasing risk of malignancy through immunologic dysregulation and clonal hematopoiesis. Public health approaches to prevent infection, such as vaccination, safer injection techniques, screening of blood products, antimicrobial treatments and safer sexual practices could reduce the burden of cancer in Africa. In SSA, inequalities in access to cancer screening and treatment are exacerbated by the perception of cancer as taboo. National level cancer registries, new screening strategies for detection of viral infection and public health messaging should be prioritized in SSA's battle against malignancy. In this review, we discuss the impact of carcinogenic viruses in SSA with a focus on regional epidemiology.

Global Epidemiology and Genetics of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading cancers worldwide. Classically, HCC develops in genetically susceptible individuals who are exposed to risk factors, especially in the presence of liver cirrhosis. Significant temporal and geographic variations exist for HCC and its etiologies. Over time, the burden of HCC has shifted from the low-moderate to the high sociodemographic index regions, reflecting the transition from viral to nonviral causes. Geographically, the hepatitis viruses predominate as the causes of HCC in Asia and Africa. Although there are genetic conditions that confer increased risk for HCC, these diagnoses are rarely recognized outside North America and Europe. In this review, we will evaluate the epidemiologic trends and risk factors of HCC, and discuss the genetics of HCC, including monogenic diseases, single-nucleotide polymorphisms, gut microbiome, and somatic mutations.

External validation of the PAGE-B score for HCC risk prediction in people living with HIV/HBV coinfection

BACKGROUND & AIMS

HBV coinfection is common among people living with HIV (PLWH) and is the most important cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While risk prediction tools for HCC have been validated in patients with HBV monoinfection, they have not been evaluated in PLWH. Thus, we performed an external validation of PAGE-B in people with HIV/HBV coinfection.

METHODS

We included data on PLWH from four European cohorts who were positive for HBsAg and did not have HCC before starting tenofovir. We estimated the predictive performance of PAGE-B for HCC occurrence over 15 years in patients receiving tenofovir-containing antiretroviral therapy. Model discrimination was assessed after multiple imputation using Cox regression with the prognostic index as a covariate, and by calculating Harrell's c-index. Calibration was assessed by comparing our cumulative incidence with the PAGE-B derivation study using Kaplan-Meier curves.

RESULTS

In total, 2,963 individuals with HIV/HBV coinfection on tenofovir-containing antiretroviral therapy were included. PAGE-B was <10 in 26.5%, 10-17 in 57.7%, and ≥18 in 15.7% of patients. Within a median follow-up of 9.6 years, HCC occurred in 68 individuals (2.58/1,000 patient-years, 95% CI 2.03-3.27). The regression slope of the prognostic index for developing HCC within 15 years was 0.93 (95% CI 0.61-1.25), and the pooled c-index was 0.77 (range 0.73-0.80), both indicating good model discrimination. The cumulative incidence of HCC was lower in our study compared to the derivation study. A PAGE-B cut-off of <10 had a negative predictive value of 99.4% for the development of HCC within 5 years. Restricting efforts to individuals with a PAGE-B of ≥10 would spare unnecessary HCC screening in 27% of individuals.

CONCLUSIONS

For individuals with HIV/HBV coinfection, PAGE-B is a valid tool to determine the need for HCC screening.

IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS

Chronic HBV infection is the most important cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among people living with HIV. Valid risk prediction may enable better targeting of HCC screening efforts to high-risk individuals. We aimed to validate PAGE-B, a risk prediction tool that is based on age, sex, and platelets, in 2,963 individuals with HIV/HBV coinfection who received tenofovir-containing antiretroviral therapy. In the present study, PAGE-B showed good discrimination, adequate calibration, and a cut-off of <10 had a negative predictive value of 99.4% for the development of HCC within 5 years. These results indicate that PAGE-B is a simple and valid risk prediction tool to determine the need for HCC screening among people living with HIV and HBV.

Cost-effectiveness of different monitoring strategies in a screening and treatment programme for hepatitis B in The Gambia

Background

Clinical management of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is complex and access to antiviral treatment remains limited in sub-Saharan Africa. International guidelines recommend monitoring at least annually for disease progression among HBV-infected people not meeting treatment criteria at initial diagnosis. This study aimed to assess the impact and cost-effectiveness of alternative strategies for monitoring.

Methods

We used a mathematical model of HBV transmission and natural history, calibrated to all available West African data, to project the population-level health impact, costs and cost-effectiveness of different monitoring strategies for HBV-infected individuals not initially eligible for antiviral treatment. We assumed that these patients were found in the year 2020 in a hypothetical community-based screening programme in The Gambia. Monitoring frequencies were varied between every 5 and every 1 year and targeted different age groups.

Results

The currently recommended annual monitoring frequency was likely to be not cost-effective in comparison with other strategies in this setting. 5-yearly monitoring in 15-45-year olds, at US$338 per disability-adjusted life year averted, had the highest probability of being the most effective cost-effective monitoring strategy.

Conclusions

Monitoring less frequently than once a year is a cost-effective strategy in a community-based HBV screening and treatment programme in The Gambia, with the optimal strategy depending on the cost-effectiveness threshold. Efficiencies may be gained by prioritising the 15-45-year age group for more intensive monitoring.

Clinicopathological Features and Survival of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Ethiopia: A Multicenter Study

(1) Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the deadliest cancers globally, killing over 700,000 people each year. Despite the rising incidence and mortality rates of HCC in Ethiopia, only few single-centered studies have been conducted; therefore, we aimed to explore the clinicopathological characteristics and survival of patients with HCC in multicenter settings. (2) Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 369 patients with confirmed HCC diagnosed between 2016 and 2021. The survival of patients weas determined using the Kaplan−Meier method, and hazard ratios of the prognostic factors were estimated in Cox proportional hazard models. (3) Results: Majority patients were male (67%) and had a mean age of 52.0 ± 15.6 years. The majority of patients (87%) had a large tumor size (>5 cm) at diagnosis and presented with an advanced-stage condition. Cirrhosis (58%) and viral hepatitis (46.5%) were the main risk factors associated with HCC. The median overall survival was 141 days (95% CI: 117−165). Patients who took antivirals for HBV had a higher survival benefit compared to the untreated group (469 vs. 104 days; p < 0.001). The risk of death was 12 times higher in patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer-D (BCLC-D) terminal stage HCC compared to patients with an early stage (BCLC-A) HCC. The stage of HCC and treatment against HBV are the most significant survival predictors. (4) Conclusions: The overall survival of HCC patients in Ethiopia is poor. Cirrhosis and viral hepatitis are the primary risk factors linked with HCC. Patients who received antiviral therapy for HBV had a better survival outcome.

Intratumoral microbiome and gastrointestinal cancers

Emerging studies have revealed the role of microbiota in regulating tumorigenesis, development, and response to antitumor treatment. However, most studies have focused on gut microbiota, and little is known about the intratumoral microbiome. To date, the latest research has indicated that the intratumoral microbiome is a key component of the tumor microenvironment (TME), and can promote a heterogeneous immune microenvironment, reprogram tumor metabolism to affect tumor invasion and metastasis. In this review, we will summarize existing studies on the intratumoral microbiome of gastrointestinal cancers and reveal their crosstalk. This will provide a better understanding of this emerging field and help to explore new therapeutic approaches for cancer patients by targeting the intratumoral microbiome.

A nationwide cross-sectional review of in-hospital hepatitis B virus testing and disease burden estimation in Ghana, 2016 - 2021

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Data are needed to inform hepatitis B virus (HBV) testing and treatment policies in Ghana to make progress towards achieving the 2030 WHO elimination targets. This study investigated testing patterns for HBV and described the age, sex, and region-specific prevalence of HBV infection in Ghana using hospital data.

METHODS

A nationwide multi-centre cross-sectional study was performed where hospital-based registers were reviewed. These included review of 139,966 laboratory, 169,048 blood bank, and 83,920 delivery register entries from 22 healthcare institutions in Ghana. Frequencies and proportions, and crude and pooled estimates reported. Chi squared test was used for tests of independence. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with a positive test result.

RESULTS

The crude HBsAg seroprevalence was 8.48% (95%CI 8.25-8.57%) with pooled estimate of 11.40% (95%CI 10.44-12.35). HBsAg seroprevalence among children under 5 years was 1.87% (95%CI 1.07-3.27) and highest age-specific seroprevalence was in those 40-49 years. The highest region-specific seroprevalences was in the Savannah (22.7%). Predictors of a positive HBsAg RDT test included female sex (OR 0.81 95% CI 0.74-0.88), and age (OR 1.005 95%CI 1.002-1.007). The proportion of parturient women receiving HBsAg testing increased between 2017 (87.2%) and 2020 (94.3%) (p < 0.001). The crude HBsAg seroprevalence in parturient women was 6.14% (95% CI 5.97-6.31). Among blood donors the crude HBsAg seroprevalence was 5.69% (95%CI 5.58-5.80). Data from 2 teaching hospitals indicated that in 2020, although 1500 HBsAg positive tests were recorded only 746 serological profile and 804 HBV DNA tests were performed. HBV e antigen seroprevalence was 6.28% (95%CI 4.73-7.84).

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Ghana remains a country with high HBV burden. There is an unequal distribution, with higher HBsAg seroprevalence in the north of the country. Furthermore, PCR testing is not widely available outside of large teaching hospitals, which limits diagnostic work-up. Hepatitis reporting systems and registers should be improved to facilitate data capture of indicators and standardised across the country to allow for comparability. Furthermore, where gains have been made in testing among pregnant women, there is a need for linkage to appropriate care.

Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) to evaluate liver fibrosis and cancer in HBV-infected patients in West Africa

Background

To reduce mortality associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, timely detection of cirrhosis and early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is essential. In low-income countries, however, HBV-infected people have limited access to liver histopathology, a reference test. Recently, Asian studies have suggested the usefulness of an inexpensive serum biomarker called Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) in staging liver fibrosis and predicting HCC in HBV-infected patients.

Methods

We systematically searched PubMed for studies examining the performance of M2BPGi in staging liver fibrosis in HBV-infected people, published up to September 21, 2021, to elucidate the knowledge gap. We then conducted a cross-sectional study of 339 HBV-infected patients in The Gambia (cirrhosis  = 65, HCC = 73, non-cirrhosis non-HCC = 201). We evaluated the association of M2BPGi with cirrhosis and HCC by computing odds ratios (ORs) derived from logistic regression. We also assessed the performance of M2BPGi to stage liver fibrosis in 49 patients who underwent liver biopsy (derivation set) and 217 patients with transient elastography (validation set). Using the derivation set we drew the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves to identify optimal M2BPGi thresholds to indicate significant fibrosis and cirrhosis using biopsy as a reference. We then applied these cut-offs to the validation set to obtain its sensitivity and specificity for indicating significant fibrosis and cirrhosis using transient elastography as a reference.

Results

The systematic review identified 13 studies, all of which were conducted in East Asia and none in Africa. In The Gambia, positive M2BPGi was significantly associated with both cirrhosis (adjusted OR = 7.8, 95% CI = 3.1-19.7) and HCC (adjusted OR = 10.1, 2.6-40.2). The areas under the ROC curve (AUROC) in the derivation and validation set were 0.62 and 0.78, respectively, to diagnose significant fibrosis, and 0.80 and 0.89, respectively, to diagnose cirrhosis. By applying the optimal cut-offs, the sensitivity and specificity in the validation set were 61.5% and 93.4%, respectively, to diagnose significant fibrosis, and 72.5% and 92.2%, respectively, for cirrhosis.

Conclusions

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first evaluation of M2BPGi in HBV-infected African population. The findings supported its accuracy in the diagnosis of cirrhosis in HBV-infected patients in West Africa.

Demographic, clinical and aetiological characteristics of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma followed between 2012 and 2017 at University Hospital Joseph Raseta Befelatanana, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Purpose

The aim of this study was to describe the demographic, clinical and aetiological characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a Malagasy population sample in view to defining an appropriate control program.

Methods

This was a retrospective, descriptive study conducted in the Gastroenterology Department, Joseph Raseta Befelatanana University Hospital, Antananarivo, over a period of 6 years (January 2012 to December 2017).

Results

A total of 42 patients were selected, 29 of whom were men (69.05%) and 13 women (30.95%) (sex ratio: 2.2). The mean age was 56.6 years with extremes of 21 and 82 years. Subjects aged 60-69 years were most affected (35.71%). Abdominal pain was the main revealing symptom (38.10%). The main aetiological factors were: hepatitis B virus (HBV) (42.86%), hepatitis C virus (19.05%) and chronic alcoholism (23.81%). All patients were cirrhotic, of which 23 patients (54.76%) had Child-Pugh B class and 15 (35.71%) Child-Pugh C. Twenty-six patients (61.90%) had α-foetoprotein level plus 500 ng/mL. Six patients (14.29%) had portal thrombosis at diagnosis. Twenty patients (47.62%) had advanced HCC (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer C (BCLC C)) and 21 (50%) had end-stage HCC (BCLC D). Management was palliative in 41/42 patients. The in-hospital death rate was 23.81%.

Conclusion

HCC are diagnosed at advanced stage in this study. The prognosis is poor for most patients. HBV infection is the main risk factor. An effort should be made for early diagnosis and prevention.

Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in sub-Saharan Africa: challenges and solutions

Most patients who develop hepatocellular carcinoma reside in resource-poor countries, a category that includes most countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Age-standardised incidence rates of hepatocellular carcinoma in western, central, eastern, and southern Africa is 6·53 per 100 000 inhabitants to 11·1 per 100 000 inhabitants. In high-income countries, around 40% of patients are diagnosed at an early stage, in which interventions with curative intent or palliative interventions are possible. By contrast, 95% of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in sub-Saharan Africa present with advanced or terminal disease. In high-income countries, targets of 30-40% that have been set for intervention with curative intent are regularly met, with expected 5-year overall survival rates in the region of 70%. These outcomes are in sharp contrast with the very small proportion of patients in sub-Saharan Africa who are treated with curative intent. Primary prevention through the eradication and reduction of risk factors is still suboptimal because of logistical challenges. The challenges facing primary prevention, in combination with difficult-to-manage historic and emerging risk factors, such as ethanol overconsumption and metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease, mandates secondary prevention for populations at risk through screening and surveillance. Although the increased treatment needs yielded by screening and surveillance in high-income countries are manageable by the incremental expansion of existing interventional resources, the lack of resources in sub-Saharan Africa will undermine the possible benefits of secondary prevention. An estimate of the projected effect of the introduction and expansion of screening and surveillance, resulting in stage migration and possibilities for active interventions for hepatocellular carcinoma, would facilitate optimal planning and development of resources.

Hepatocellular carcinoma: measures to improve the outlook in sub-Saharan Africa

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a leading public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa, and it is most prevalent in young adults (median 45 years [IQR 35-57]). Overall, outcomes are poor, with a median survival of 2·5 months after presentation. Major risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma are hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus, aflatoxin B1 exposure, and alcohol consumption, with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease slowly emerging as a risk factor over the past few years. Crucially, these risk factors are preventable and manageable with effective implementation of the HBV birth-dose vaccination, treatment of chronic viral hepatitis, provision of harm reduction services, and by decreasing aflatoxin B1 exposure and harmful alcohol consumption. Primary prevention is central to the management of hepatocellular carcinoma, especially in poorly resourced environments. Effective screening and surveillance programmes with recall policies need to be implemented, because detection and curative management of hepatocellular carcinoma is possible if it is detected at an early stage, even in countries with minimal resources, with appropriate upskilling of medical personnel. The establishment of centres of excellence with advanced diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities within countries should improve hepatocellular carcinoma outcomes and assist in driving the implementation of much needed systematic data systems focused on hepatocellular carcinoma to establish the accurate burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Such data would support the public health importance of hepatocellular carcinoma and provide a strong basis for advocacy, programme development, resource allocation, and monitoring of progress in reducing mortality.

Decrease in liver cancer incidence rates in Bamako, Mali over 28 years of population-based cancer registration (1987-2015)

BACKGROUND

Primary liver cancer is common in West Africa due to endemic risk factors. However, epidemiological studies of the global burden and trends of liver cancer are limited. We report changes in trends of the incidence of liver cancer over a period of 28 years using the population-based cancer registry of Bamako, Mali.

AIM

To assess the trends and patterns of liver cancer by gender and age groups by analyzing the cancer registration data accumulated over 28 years (1987-2015) of activity of the population-based registry of the Bamako district.

METHODS

Data obtained since the inception of the registry in 1987 through 2015 were stratified into three periods (1987-1996, 1997-2006, and 2007-2015). Age-standardized rates were estimated by direct standardization using the world population. Incidence rate ratios and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using the early period as the reference (1987-1996). Joinpoint regression models were used to assess the annual percentage change and highlight trends over the entire period (from 1987 to 2015).

RESULTS

Among males, the age-standardized incidence rates significantly decreased from 19.41 (1987-1996) to 13.12 (1997-2006) to 8.15 (2007-2015) per 10⁵ person-years. The incidence rate ratio over 28 years was 0.42 (95%CI: 0.34-0.50), and the annual percentage change was -4.59 [95%CI: (-6.4)-(-2.7)]. Among females, rates dropped continuously from 7.02 (1987-1996) to 2.57 (2007-2015) per 10⁵ person-years, with an incidence rate ratio of 0.37 (95%CI: 0.28-0.45) and an annual percentage change of -5.63 [95%CI: (-8.9)-(-2.3)].

CONCLUSION

The population-based registration showed that the incidence of primary liver cancer has steadily decreased in the Bamako district over 28 years. This trend does not appear to result from biases or changes in registration practices. This is the first report of such a decrease in an area of high incidence of liver cancer in Africa. This decrease may be explained by the changes and diversity of diet that could reduce exposure to aflatoxins through dietary contamination in this population.

High prevalence of chronic viral hepatitis B and C in Minnesota Somalis contributes to rising hepatocellular carcinoma incidence

BACKGROUND

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are known risk factors for liver disease, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). There is substantial global variation in HBV and HCV prevalence resulting in variations in cirrhosis and HCC. We previously reported high prevalence of HBV and HCV infections in Somali immigrants seen at an academic medical center in Minnesota.

AIM

To determine the prevalence of chronic viral hepatitis in Somali immigrants in Minnesota through a community-based screening program.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective community-based participatory research study in the Somali community in Minnesota in partnership with community advisory boards, community clinics and local mosques between November 2010 and December 2015 (data was analyzed in 2020). Serum was tested for hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis B core antibody, hepatitis B surface antibody and anti-HCV antibody.

RESULTS

Of 779 participants, 15.4% tested positive for chronic HBV infection, 50.2% for prior exposure to HBV and 7.6% for chronic HCV infection. Calculated age-adjusted frequencies in males and females for chronic HBV were 12.5% and 11.6%; for prior exposure to HBV were 44.8% and 41.3%; and for chronic HCV were 6.7% and 5.7%, respectively. Seven participants developed incident HCC during follow up.

CONCLUSION

Chronic HBV and HCV are major risk factors for liver disease and HCC among Somali immigrants, with prevalence of both infections substantially higher than in the general United States population. Community-based screening is essential for identifying and providing health education and linkage to care for diagnosed patients.

Drastic sex-dependent etiological distribution in severe liver diseases from Gabon

Chronic liver diseases still represent a worrying public health issue in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this region, emphasis is generally made on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) albeit liver cirrhosis (LC) is also responsible for an important death toll. Very few studies have compared the presentation and etiologies of cancer and cirrhosis of the liver in Middle Africa. We conducted a comparative retrospective analysis of 74 and 134 cases of patients with HCC and LC treated in Libreville, Gabon. Viral or lifestyle risk factors, clinical symptoms, and biological features were compared. We observed that ages of diagnosis were 53.2 ± 15.7 years and 48.6 ± 18.6 years for HCC and LC with remarkably low M:F sex ratios (1.3–1.8). Ethanol consumption was highly prevalent in both disease types (65.0%–70.0%). Chronic viral infections with hepatitis B (HBV) or C (HCV) virus were also widespread with slight domination of the former in both diseases (43.4% vs. 34.3%, and 35.9% vs. 28.5%). Patients with HCC were presenting very late with a mean diameter of the main nodule of 84 ± 50 mm and a multifocal pattern in 72.7% of cases. HCC developed on a cirrhotic liver in 91.7% of cases. Serum AFP was frankly elevated (>400 ng/ml) in only 35.8% of HCC cases. The most striking feature of the HCC series was the contrasted contribution of distinct pathogenic etiologies involving sex, viral, metabolic, and toxic factors. A frequently dysmetabolic condition synergizing with hepatitis C (anti-HCV, 73.8% vs 22.7%, p < 0.0001) in females and a male cancer promoted by recreational toxicants and chronic hepatitis B (HBsAg, 83.5% vs 35.9%, p < 0.0001) were observed. Men with HCC were considerably younger than women (46.8 ± 14.5 years vs. 62.2 ± 12.2 years, p < 0.0001). Further studies are now warranted to identify routes of HCV transmission and if they are still fueling reservoirs of future patients. Public policies to prevent alcohol-related harm have also to be urgently implemented in Gabon.

Mortality burden due to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in Ghana; prevalence of risk factors and predictors of poor in-hospital survival

Liver-related diseases, including liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), are significant causes of mortality globally. Specific causes and predictors of liver-related mortality in low resource settings require assessment to help inform clinical decision making and develop strategies for improved survival. The objectives of this study were to determine the proportion of liver-related deaths associated with liver cirrhosis, HCC, and their known risk factors, and secondly to determine predictors of in-hospital mortality among cirrhosis and HCC patients in Ghana. We first performed a cross-sectional review of death register entries from 11 referral hospitals in Ghana to determine the proportion of liver-related deaths and the proportion of risk factors associated with these deaths. Secondly, we conducted a retrospective cohort review of 172 in-patient liver cirrhosis and HCC cases admitted to a tertiary referral centre and determined predictors of in-hospital mortality using binary logistic regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. In total, 8.8% of deaths in Ghanaian adults were due to liver-related causes. The proportion of liver-related deaths attributed to HBV infection was 48.8% (95% CI: 45.95–51.76), HCV infection was 7.0% (95% CI: 5.58–8.45), HBV-HCV co-infection 0.5% (95% CI: 0.1–0.9) and alcohol was 10.0% (95% CI: 8.30–11.67). Of 172 cases of HCC and liver cirrhosis, the in-patient mortality rate was 54.1%. Predictors of in-patient mortality in cirrhotic patients were increasing WBC (OR = 1.14 95% CI: 1.00–1.30) and the revised model for end-stage liver disease with sodium (MELD-Na) score (OR = 1.24 95% CI: 1.01–1.54). For HCC patients, female sex (OR = 3.74 95% CI: 1.09–12.81) and hepatic encephalopathy (grade 1) were associated with higher mortality (OR = 5.66 95% CI: 1.10–29.2). In conclusion, HBV is linked to a high proportion of HCC-related deaths in Ghana, with high in-hospital mortality rates that require targeted policies to improve survival.

Hepatic resection versus microwave ablation for the treatment of early hepatocellular carcinoma: a comparative analysis of treatment outcomes and survival predictors

Introduction

Liver resection and local ablation are the two primary curative treatments for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Microwave ablation (MWA) shows promising performance in terms of early tumor response, recurrence, and survival. This study aims to determine whether MWA would be comparable to liver resection in treating early-stage HCC.

Methods

This study included patients with hepatitis C-related HCC attending the multidisciplinary HCC clinic, Kasr Al-Ainy Hospital (March 2018 to September 2020). We included adults with early-stage HCC (BCLC stages 0-A). We studied patients and tumor characteristics, HCC treatment response, recurrence, and overall survival.

Results

Thirty-one patients were treated with liver resection and 41 patients were treated with MWA, including 4 patients who received intraoperative MWA. By the end of the study, 21 patients (28.77%) died. Patients who underwent MWA were younger compared to the hepatectomy group with lower baseline AFP (21 (6.7–54) versus 77 (31.3–136.0), respectively, (P value 0.024) and tumor size (2.78 (0.87) cm versus 3.77 (0.97) cm, respectively, (P value < 0.001). We found no differences between the studied groups in terms of treatment response, post-treatment decompensation, recurrence, or overall survival. One-year survival probability in the MWA and resection groups was 75.5% and 76.3% respectively. Post-procedure hepatic decompensation was the only independent predictor of lower survival by multivariate logistic regression analysis (OR 37.74, 95%CI 6.251–227.87, P value < 0.001) after adjusting for age, AFP, and tumor size.

Conclusion

Liver resection and MWA showed similar satisfactory results in the treatment of early-stage HCC, in terms of treatment response, recurrence, and overall survival.

Trends in Global, Regional, and National Burden and Quality of Care Index for Liver Cancer by Cause from Global Burden of Disease 1990-2019

Despite the tremendous burden of liver cancer and its underlying causes on humankind, there appear to be heterogeneities in coping approaches. The objective of this study was to compare the burden and the quality-of-care of liver cancer by causes among different countries and regions in both sexes and various age groups 1990-2019. Data of liver cancer and underlying causes, including hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), alcohol use, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and other causes were obtained from the Global Burden of Diseases 2019. Incidence, prevalence, death, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) were assessed. Principal component analysis was used to combine age-standardized mortality-to-incidence ratio, DALY-to-prevalence ratio, prevalence-to-incidence ratio, and years of life lost-to-years lived with disability into a single proxy named Quality of Care Index (QCI). Globally, the age-standardized incidence, DALYs, and death rates decreased from 1990 to 2019, while the QCI scores increased by 68.5%. The QCI score of liver cancer was from as high as 83.3 in high Sociodemographic Index (SDI) countries to values as low as 26.4 in low SDI countries in 2019. Japan had the highest QCI score (QCI = 100). The age-standardized death rates of liver cancer due to all underlying causes were decreasing during the past 30 years, with the most decrease for HBV. Consistently, the global QCI scores of liver cancer due to HBV, HCV, alcohol use, NASH, and other causes reached 53.5, 61.8, 54.3, 52.9, and 63.7, respectively, in 2019. Conclusion: Although the trends in burden are decreasing and the QCI improved from 1990 to 2019 globally, there is a wide gap between countries. Given the inequities in health care quality, there is an urgent need to address discrimination and bridge the gap.

Optimized Systematic Review Tool: Application to Candidate Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

This review aims to develop an appropriate review tool for systematically collating metabolites that are dysregulated in disease and applies the method to identify novel diagnostic biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Studies that analyzed metabolites in blood or urine samples where HCC was compared with comparison groups (healthy, precirrhotic liver disease, cirrhosis) were eligible. Tumor tissue was included to help differentiate primary and secondary biomarkers. Searches were conducted on Medline and EMBASE. A bespoke "risk of bias" tool for metabolomic studies was developed adjusting for analytic quality. Discriminant metabolites for each sample type were ranked using a weighted score accounting for the direction and extent of change and the risk of bias of the reporting publication. A total of 84 eligible studies were included in the review (54 blood, 9 urine, and 15 tissue), with six studying multiple sample types. High-ranking metabolites, based on their weighted score, comprised energy metabolites, bile acids, acylcarnitines, and lysophosphocholines. This new review tool addresses an unmet need for incorporating quality of study design and analysis to overcome the gaps in standardization of reporting of metabolomic data. Validation studies, standardized study designs, and publications meeting minimal reporting standards are crucial for advancing the field beyond exploratory studies.

Global and regional long-term survival following resection for HCC in the recent decade: A meta-analysis of 110 studies

Surgical resection for HCC remains a major curative treatment option, but it is unclear whether there are differences in outcomes by region and whether outcomes have improved over time. We aimed to estimate pooled overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and complication rates in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) following curative surgical resection and to compare outcomes by region and by time period. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane databases from inception to May 15, 2020. We selected studies reporting OS, RFS, and complications in adult patients with HCC undergoing curative surgical resection. Two authors independently searched the literature and extracted the data. We screened 6983 articles and included 110 eligible studies with 82,392 patients, with study periods spanning from 1980-2017. The global pooled 1-year and 5-year survival rates were 88.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 87.1-90.4) and 56.2% (95% CI 52.8-59.6) for OS and 71.1% (95% CI 67.6-74.3) and 35.2% (95% CI 32.5-38.0) for RFS, respectively. Five-year OS was higher in Asia (57.03%) than in other regions (Europe 48.3%; North America 48.0%; and South America 49.5%); p = 0.002. Five-year RFS was higher in patients with hepatitis B virus versus patients with hepatitis C virus (34.8% vs. 24.1%; p = 0.02). There was no significant improvement in 5-year OS and RFS over time. The pooled rate for complications was 27.6% (95% CI 23.4-32.3), with 9.7% (95% CI 6.3-14.7) classified as major. One-year OS after surgical resection for HCC is excellent (~90%). However, 5-year OS (~55%) and RFS (~35%) are still poor, suggesting that long-term care is suboptimal. Greater efforts are required to improve survival through enhanced surveillance and preventing recurrence through antiviral therapy.