Impact of hepatocellular carcinoma on health related quality of life in Egyptian patients: a single centre study.

Among patients with chronic liver disease, impairment in HRQOL has been reported. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the major squeal of chronic liver diseases. So, relationship between subjective HRQOL and HCC must be analysed. This study assessed the effect of HCC on HRQOL, and its loco-regional treatment on HRQOL. Forty patients with HCV related chronic liver disease as a control group was enrolled in the study. Eighty HCC patients on top of chronic HCV liver disease categorized according to the modality of loco-regional treatment (BCLC staging system) into GI; 40 HCC patients treated with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and GII; 40 HCC patients treated with trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE). The SF-36 questionnaire was performed before and one month after the intervention. Comparing the parameters of HRQOL in GI before and after RFA, and in GII before and after TACE; there was a statistically significant improvement in group I. However, the improvement in group II (TACE) was non-significant (P>0.05).