%0 Journal Article
%T Ruptured Hepatocellular Carcinoma-Experience in a Tertiary Centre in Western Australia
%J -
%D 2018
%X Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Spontaneous tumour rupture (STR) is uncommon, with incidence rates around 10-15% in Asia, but below 3% in Western countries. Nonetheless, serious complications lead to high mortality rates. To our knowledge, experience of HCC rupture has not been published in Australia. We identified 9 retrospective cases of ruptured HCC from 2008 to 2017 through patient case notes, electronic laboratory system, and imaging reports. Our case series presents 8 male and 1 female patient with a mean age of 56 years, and a median 11 month follow-up period. Sixty-six percent of patients were non-cirrhotic, and 33% cirrhotic, with a median post- tumour rupture survival rate of 10 months and 12 months, respectively. Seventy-eight percent of patients presented with abdominal pain and a mean tumour size of 8cm at time of rupture. Initial management involved: trans-arterial chemoembolisation (TACE)/ trans-arterial embolisation (TAE) in 4 patients, emergency hepatic resection in 3 patients, sorafenib in 1 patient and conservative/ supportive treatment in 1 patient. Reasons for our low HCC rupture incidence at 0.3% could be due to: none of our patients experiencing rebleeding (one of the common causes of mortality); strict surveillance programmes in Australia identifying early tumours; and majority of our patients being younger and non-cirrhotic with a better underlying liver reserve at time of rupture, and therefore improved outcomes
%K Ruptured Hepatocellular Carcinoma
%K Trans-Arterial Chemoembolisation
%K Trans-Arterial Embolisation
%U http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/journal/paperinfo?journalid=282&doi=10.11648/j.ijg.20180201.14