Survival Trends in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients with Portal Vein Tumor Thrombosis: A 3-Month Outcome Assessment

Abstract

Objective To assess the survival trends among hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients presenting with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) over a 3-month period.

Methodology: This descriptive case series study was conducted at Gastroenterology and hepatology department of Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad from March 2019 to September 2019. Patients of all age groups, both genders diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma based on ultrasonography and CT scan imaging as well as screening alpha fetoprotein levels, with evidence of portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) detected through imaging modalities and patients with available medical records containing relevant clinical, laboratory, and imaging data were included. To monitor the survival status of patients, a three-month follow-up period was initiated, facilitated through regular follow-up and phone contact. Throughout this follow-up period, records were maintained, and all relevant data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 26.

Results: The mean age of the patients was 56.4 years, with a standard deviation of 5.7 years. Average Body mass index (BMI) was 23.4 kg/m². Majority of participants were male 80.0%, while females were 20.0%. Regarding the three-month survival rate, only 17.5% of the patients were found to have survived during and remaining patients did not survive. The three-month survival rate did not show statistically significant differences across various demographic factors such as patients' age, gender, and BMI categories (p ? 0.05).

Conclusion: Study revealed poor survival outcomes among patients diagnosed with portal vein tumor thrombosis associated with hepatocellular carcinoma, with only 17.5% of patients surviving rat. The overwhelming majority, died to this aggressive malignancy within the observed timeframe.