Hepatic and extrahepatic cancer in cirrhosis: a longitudinal cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: We conducted a retrospective cohort study in cirrhotic patients to understand (i) the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after an initial negative screening computed tomography (CT) scan and its relationship with underlying etiology and (ii) the risk of extrahepatic cancers (EHCs). METHODS: Our cohort consisted of 952 cirrhotics who had at least one contrast-enhanced CT scan over a 5-year period from 1997 to 2002. We assessed their risk of HCC and EHC until the study closure (31 December 2007). Using data from the Indiana State Cancer Registry (ISCR), standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated for HCC and EHC. RESULTS: The cohort's follow-up was 4.7±3.0 years. The frequency of HCC at baseline and during follow-up was 6.9 and 7.2%, respectively. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year HCC incidence after an initial negative CT scan was 1.2, 4.4, and 7.8%, respectively. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year EHC incidence was 2.2, 4.5, and 6.8%, respectively. The most common EHCs were breast, lung, and lymphoma. Incidence of both HCC (P=0.016) and EHC (P=0.004) varied significantly by the etiology of underlying cirrhosis. The SIRs for HCC and EHC were 186 (95% confidence interval (CI) 140-238) and 1.83 (95% CI 1.36-2.36), respectively. Compared with adjusted ISCR data, cirrhosis due to alcohol (SIR 2.73, 95% CI 1.14-4.33) but not other etiologies had significantly higher incidence of EHC. CONCLUSIONS: This study furthers our understanding of HCC and EHC risk in cirrhosis. If confirmed by other studies, these data will assist in developing optimal strategies for monitoring of cancer in individuals with cirrhosis.

Incidence and predictors of 30-day readmission among patients hospitalized for advanced liver disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The rate of readmission to the hospital 30 days after discharge (30-day readmission rate) is used as a quality measure for hospitalized patients, but it has not been studied adequately for patients with advanced liver disease. We investigated the incidence and factors that predict this rate and its relationship with mortality at 90 days. METHODS: We analyzed data from patients with advanced liver disease who were hospitalized to an inpatient hepatology service at 2 large academic medical centers in 2008. Patients with elective admission and recipients of liver transplants were not included. During the study period, there were 447 patients and a total of 554 eligible admissions. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify variables associated with 30-day readmission and to examine its relationship with mortality at 90 days. RESULTS: The 30-day readmission rate was 20%. After adjusting for multiple covariates, readmission within 30 days was associated independently with model for end-stage liver disease scores at discharge (odds ratio [OR], 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.09; P = .002), the presence of diabetes (OR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.07-2.95; P = .027), and male sex (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.03-2.89; P = .038). After adjusting for age, sex, and model for end-stage liver disease score at discharge, the 90-day mortality rate was significantly higher among patients who were readmitted to the hospital within 30 days than those who were not (26.8% vs 9.8%; OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.36-5.02; P = .004). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with advanced liver disease frequently are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days after discharge; these patients have a higher 90-day mortality rate than those who are not readmitted in 30 days. These data might be used to develop strategies to reduce early readmission of hospitalized patients with cirrhosis.