Recent trends in the incidence and survival of stage I liver cancer: a surveillance, epidemiology, and end results analysis

Ann Med. 2022 Dec;54(1):2785-2795. doi: 10.1080/07853890.2022.2131328.

Abstract

Background: Improvements in screening and imaging technologies and treatment of liver disease have influenced the trend in diagnosis for stage I liver cancer. In this article, recent trends in age, incidence, tumour size, and survival of different stages of liver cancer are analysed.

Methods: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and end results data from the National Cancer Institute were used to analyse trends in age-adjusted incidence rate, mean tumour size at diagnosis, age at diagnosis, and 5-year survival probability for stage I liver cancer.

Results: Stage I cases of liver cancer increased most tremendously over the study period, with a greater increase from 2004 to 2012 following a smaller increase from 2012 to 2015. Moreover, the mean age of stage I liver cancer increased by 1.72 years from 2004 to 2015. The 5-year-overall survival for stage I liver cases worsened from 97.9% to 83.7% from 2004 to 2011, whereas the 10-year survival probability for stage I cases worsened from 97.3% in 2004 to 79.6% in 2006. Comparing with higher stage cases, stage I liver cancer were more likely to be females, be married, live in metro areas, receive chemotherapy, and carry medical insurance.

Conclusions: The incidence of stage I liver cancer has increased over the study period, with an increase in age of diagnosis, decrease in tumour size, and generally stable overall survival rate with slight decrease. These trends emphasized the importance of early detection of liver cancer and regular screening and better treatment for high-risk populations.RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTSImprovements in screening and imaging technologies and treatment of liver disease have influenced the trend in diagnosis for liver cancer.Stage I cases of liver cancer increased most tremendously over the study period, with a greater increase from 2004 to 2012 following a smaller increase from 2012 to 2015.These trends emphasized the importance of early detection of liver cancer and regular screening and better treatment for high-risk populations.

Keywords: HCC; SEER; prognosis; stage; treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Female
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Infant
  • Liver Neoplasms* / diagnosis
  • Liver Neoplasms* / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Mass Screening*
  • SEER Program
  • Survival Rate
  • United States / epidemiology

Grants and funding

This study was supported partly by grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China [81302065, 81972214, and 81772932], Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province [2021JJ30060 and 2022JJ30098], Key Research and Development Program of Hunan Province [2021NK2026], The Key Project of Scientific Research Project of Hunan Education Department [21A0442], Nantong Health Commission [MA2020008], Construction of Clinical Medical Centre for Tumour Biological Samples in Nantong [HS2016004], and Jiangsu 333 Program [BRA2017205].