Treatment patterns and clinical outcomes of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma-a cohort study of 1020 patients in Sweden.

Objectives: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant global health burden. Examining treatment sequencing before the introduction of immune-based therapies is important for understanding the role and necessity of modern treatment approaches.

Material and methods: This retrospective study analysed 1020 patients with HCC treated at Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, between 2010 and 2017 to explore treatment sequencing, and clinical outcomes. Treatment decisions followed a modified Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) algorithm, and patients were stratified by disease stage and by type of treatment.

Results: Initial treatment strategies included best supportive care (BSC, 32%), ablation (20%), transarterial chemoembolization (TACE, 22%), systemic therapy (12%), resection (12%), and liver transplantation (3%). Median survival ranged from 4.8 years in BCLC 0 to 2.3 months in BCLC D. Curative treatments, particularly liver transplantation, achieved the highest five-year survival (82%), whereas systemic therapy and BSC had the poorest five-year survival (2% and 0%). Despite curative intent, disease recurrence was common, necessitating further treatment in most patients. Treatment sequencing revealed that 37% of patients required a second treatment, and 18% progressed to a third line of therapy.

Conclusions: This study underscores the challenges of managing HCC in a real-world setting, including late diagnosis and high recurrence rates following curative treatments. Real-world treatment deviations from guidelines were observed, often influenced by patient comorbidities, performance status, or other clinical considerations.