Risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in Asian patients with primary biliary cholangitis: A nationwide and hospital cohort study

Notable heterogeneity has been observed among different studies in terms of the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Large-scale studies on the association between PBC and HCC in Asians are scarce. In our nationwide cohort study, patients with PBC exhibited a significantly heightened risk of developing HCC and mortality than the age- and sex-matched controls. Individuals with PBC had a 9.1-fold higher risk of developing HCC than their matched counterparts, with an incidence rate of 3.7/1,000 person-years. Older age, male sex, smoking, and diabetes were identified as prominent risk factors for HCC in patients with PBC in the nationwide cohort. Older age, male sex, and alcohol consumption were identified as the factors significantly contributing to the elevated risk of HCC in patients with PBC in validation multicenter hospital cohort.