Patterns of Presentation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Bangladesh.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common primary liver cancer. Chronic viral hepatitis, alcohol abuse, and NAFLD are the common causes of hepatocellular carcinoma. Usually patients present at advanced stages where curative treatment is no longer possible. This study aimed to find the clinical presentation, etiology& stage at presentation among patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in a tertiary care center. This retrospective observational study was conducted in a single tertiary care center from July 2023 to June 2024. The study was done among inpatients of the Department of Hepatology. About 30 Cases were recorded with confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma over this period. Among 30 patients, 53.33% of patients were above 60 years of age and 76.66% were HBsAg positive. 90.0% of patients were symptomatic among which abdominal pain was the most common. Features of cirrhosis with hepatomegaly were the main physical findings. Normal alpha-fetoprotein levels were in 13.33% of patients; 96.66% of patients were in advanced age where curative treatment was not feasible. Hepatocellular carcinoma is a significant concern. It is crucial to identify high-risk patients, which should lead to screening using both serum alpha-fetoprotein level and ultrasonography of the liver. There is an urgent need to discover more effective treatments or other methods for managing this condition, particularly in its advanced stages.