Trends in Urban-rural Disparities in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Mortality in the United States From 1999 to 2020.

Objective: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a growing public health concern in the United States. While socioeconomic factors have been linked to HCC outcomes, the impact of urban-rural residence remains understudied. This analysis examines trends in HCC mortality between urban and rural areas from 1999 to 2020.

Materials and methods: Using the "Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research" database, we analyzed age-adjusted HCC mortality rates in urban and rural counties. Joinpoint regression was used to calculate annual percentage change and average annual percentage change (AAPC) in mortality rates. We examined trends by demographics and geographic regions.

Results: Overall HCC mortality increased from 1999 to 2020 (AAPC: 1.24%). Rural areas experienced a more rapid rise (AAPC: 1.97%) in HCC mortality compared with urban areas (AAPC: 1.11%), and in 2020 HCC mortality in rural areas surpassed that in urban areas. Significant disparities in HCC mortality were also observed by other sociodemographic factors, with the highest HCC mortality among men, older adults, and ethnic minority populations in rural regions.

Conclusion: Significant disparities in HCC mortality were observed by urban-rural geography in the United States, which seems to be exacerbated by underlying sociodemographic factors. Better understanding of potential modifiable drivers of these disparities will help guide interventions to improve long-term patient outcomes.