Epidemiology of hepatocellular carcinoma

Kelly J Lafaro; Aram N Demirjian; Timothy M Pawlik

doi:10.1016/j.soc.2014.09.001

Epidemiology of hepatocellular carcinoma

Surg Oncol Clin N Am. 2015 Jan;24(1):1-17. doi: 10.1016/j.soc.2014.09.001. Epub 2014 Oct 3.

Authors

Kelly J Lafaro¹, Aram N Demirjian², Timothy M Pawlik³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Blalock 688, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
² Department of Surgery, University of California-Irvine, 333 City Boulevard West, Suite 1205, Orange, CA 92868, USA.
³ Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 North Wolfe Street, Blalock 688, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. Electronic address: tpawlik1@jhmi.edu.

PMID: 25444466
DOI: 10.1016/j.soc.2014.09.001

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common histologic type of primary liver cancer, accounting for between 85% and 90% of these malignancies. The overall prognosis of patients with liver cancer is poor, and an understanding of this disease and its risk factors is crucial for screening at-risk individuals, early recognition, and timely diagnosis. Most HCCs arise in the background of chronic liver disease caused by hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and chronic excessive alcohol intake. These underlying causes are characterized by marked variations in geography, gender, and other well-documented risk factors, some of which are potentially preventable.

Keywords: Aflatoxin; Chronic liver disease; Cirrhosis; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis C; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Incidence; Risk factors.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / epidemiology*
Humans
Liver Neoplasms / epidemiology*
Prognosis
Risk Factors