Association of Weight Change with Risk of Primary Liver Cancer in Middle-aged Men with Chronic Liver Disease

Obesity is considered an important risk factor for the development of primary liver cancer. However, the association of weight change with risk of primary liver cancer is not well-defined, especially among middle-aged men with chronic liver disease. This population-based longitudinal study used data obtained by the Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort. The study population comprised 33,260 middle-aged men aged between 40 and 64 with chronic liver disease. The association of weight change with risk of primary liver cancer was evaluated using multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression. All participants were followed up until primary liver cancer, death, or December 31, 2013, whichever came earliest. During 226,619 person-years of follow-up, 536 cases (1.6 %) of primary liver cancer were identified. Weight gain (change in body mass index greater than 2.0 kg/m2) was associated with higher risk of primary liver cancer (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.57; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-2.36), whereas no significant association was found for weight loss (aHR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.55-1.46) compared to weight stable group. Stratified analyses revealed that weight gain-associated higher risk of primary liver cancer was more notable among non-obese and non-drinking subgroups. Weight gain is associated with higher risk of primary liver cancer in among middle-aged men with chronic liver disease. Future studies are warranted to confirm whether weight management is beneficial in populations at high risk of primary liver cancer.