Hepatocellular Carcinoma in pregnancy

Abstract

Despite hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) being the third leading cause of all cancer deaths globally, its occurrence in pregnancy is rare, with an annual incidence of 1 per 100 000.1, 2 This is likely underestimated, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where hepatitis B virus (HBV), the most common aetiology of HCC, remains endemic. The course of HCC in pregnancy is thought to be accelerated due to several factors, and outcomes are generally worse than in the general population.1, 2 We highlight this in a recent patient referred to our facility.