Natural History of Liver Cancer

Abstract

The epidemiology of the different types of primary and secondary malignant neoplasms of the liver and biliary tract are thought-provoking because the etiological possibilities seem easy to document in view of their marked geographical differences. Primary liver cancer (both hepatocellular and cholangiocellular carcinoma) have their maximum incidence and prevalence in those areas of the world and in those populations that have the lowest incidence and prevalence of primary large bowel cancer. Primary liver cancer is a common disease in the black population in Africa (south of the Sahara) and throughout the Far East. It is significant that the caucasians in southern Africa have a low incidence of primary liver cancer, comparable to occurrence rates in the United States. The occurrence rates of secondary cancer in the liver is proportional to the incidence of the primary cancer. Primary large bowel cancer (with resultant metastases to the liver) occurs commonly in the United States and Europe. Other common malignant neoplasms that metastasize to the liver are cancer of the stomach, pancreas, breast, and lung.