Hepatocellular Carcinoma – Etiology, Risk Factors and Prevention
Synonyms
Primary liver cancer; Liver cancer; Hepatoma
Definition
Hepatocytes and cholangiocytes are the most common types of liver epithelial cell, and their malignant transformation can lead to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCC), respectively.
Characteristics
Etiology
Oncogenic and Environmental Factors
The radioactive contrast medium thorotrast was used to detect arterial injury during World War II. This medium can become trapped in the reticulo-endothelial system of exposed individuals, and can release weak γ-rays over a prolonged period of time. As a result, HCC, angiosarcomas, and CCC can develop ≥10 years after exposure. For this reason, the clinical use of thorotrast was recently prohibited.
Aflatoxin B1, which is found in the fungus Aspergillus flavus, acts as an oncogenic factor of HCC. In 1979, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported the prevalence of HCC to be 13 cases per 100,000 individuals among the Mozambique population. Estimate...
References
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