Table 2.
Baseline characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma in Toronto in 257 patients
| Variable | No (%) (n=257) |
| Mean age (y) | 60.1 (12.5) |
| Median age (y) | 63 |
| Sex male | 188 (73.1) |
| Country of origin | (missing data 4) |
| South-East Asia | 123 (48.6) |
| Canada | 44 (17.3) |
| Europe south | 33 (13.0) |
| Other | 53 (20.1) |
| Main risk factors | (missing data 6) |
| HBV | 147 (58.5) |
| HCV | 54 (21.5) |
| Alcohol | 39 (15.5) |
| Diagnosis | |
| Biopsy or surgical specimen | 173 (67.3) |
| Clinical/radiological+AFP >400 ng/ml | 49 (19.1) |
| Clinical/radiological | 35 (13.6) |
| Symptoms | (missing data 21) |
| Asymptomatic patients. | 122 (51.7) |
| Symptomatic patients (before diagnosis) | 114 (48.3) |
| Constitutional symptoms* | 82/122 (67.2) |
| Abdominal symptoms* | 65/114 (57.0) |
| Non-tumorous liver | (missing data 13) |
| Cirrhosis | 178 (73.0) |
| Chronic hepatitis | 59 (24.2) |
| Normal liver | 7 (2.8) |
| AFP levels | |
| >400 ng/ml | 105 (40.8) |
| 11–400 ng/ml | 92 (35.8) |
| ≤10 ng/ml | 60 (23.4) |
| Tumour type | |
| Unifocal | 107 (41.6) |
| Multifocal | 75 (29.2) |
| Diffuse massive | 75 (29.2) |
| Vascular macroscopic invasion | 43 (16.7) |
| Metastasis at diagnosis | 15 (5.8) |
| Treatments* | |
| Resection/transplantation/alcohol | 72/0/23 (37.0) |
| Chemoembolisation and experimental | 29 (11.3) |
| Palliative, Chinese herbal, tamoxiphen | 133 (51.7) |
*More than 100% due to multiple symptoms in some patients.
HBV, hepatitis B virus; HCV, hepatitis C virus; AFP, alpha fetoprotein.