Characteristics of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a High Arsenicism Area in Taiwan: A Case-Control Study

Arsenic contamination of drinking water is noticeably linked to the occurrence of skin, bladder, lung cancers, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Blackfoot disease (BFD) caused by arsenicosis is endemic in southwestern Taiwan, where artesian well water contains high concentrations of arsenic, and mortality from HCC shows a dose-response increase by concentration of arsenic in the well water. This case-control study was conducted to examine the clinical characteristics of HCC patients of BFD-endemic area. A total of 65 HCC cases (54 men and 11 women) were recruited from the BFD-endemic areas. The clinicopathological features were compared with 130 age- and sex-matched HCC control patients from non-BFD-endemic areas. Characteristics analyzed included hepatitis viral infection status, hepatitis activity, liver function, histological findings, computed tomography scan characteristics, and patient survival. No differences were observed between HCC patients or their tumors, from study and control areas.