Epidemiologic, humanistic and economic burden of hepatocellular carcinoma in the USA: a systematic literature review

Aim: To describe the epidemiologic, humanistic and economic burdens of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the USA. Materials & methods: Studies describing the epidemiology and economic burden from national cohorts, any economic models, or any humanistic burden studies published 2008-2018 were systematically searched. Results: HCC incidence was 9.5 per 100,000 person-years in most recent data, but was similar to 100-times higher among patients with hepatitis/cirrhosis. Approximately a third of patients were diagnosed with advanced disease. Patients with HCC experienced poor quality of life. Direct costs were substantial and varied based on underlying demographics, disease stage and treatment received. Between 25-77% of patients did not receive surgical, locoregional or systemic treatment. Conclusion: Better treatments are needed to extend survival and improve quality of life for patients with HCC.