Overview

• A Swedish nationwide study of 5,490 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients between 2011 and 2021 found a 29–30% higher mortality rate among low-income patients compared to middle- or high-income groups.
• Low-income individuals were significantly less likely to receive early-stage diagnoses or access curative treatments, even after controlling for tumor stage and comorbidities.
• HCC incidence was approximately five times higher among low-income groups, highlighting stark socioeconomic disparities in disease burden.
• Researchers are planning pilot cirrhosis screening programs in socioeconomically deprived areas to improve early detection and treatment access.
• The study underscores persistent inequities in Sweden's universal healthcare system, linking poorer outcomes to social determinants rather than clinical factors.