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Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular Carcinoma Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer in the world. Most patients still present late in the course of the disease so that curative therapy is rarely possible. Strategies developed to improve the prognosis include primary prevention, directed at the underlying liver diseases, secondary prevention by cancer surveillance and early intervention, and more effective therapies. Only childhood vaccination against hepatitis B (HBV) infection has been clearly documented to reduce the incidence of HCC. Eradication of the hepatitis B and C viruses by interferon in noncirrhotic patients may reduce the incidence of HCC. Removal of iron by phlebotomy in noncirrhotic patients with genetic hemochromatosis will largely prevent HCC. Many physicians offer secondary prevention by surveillance and early intervention involving repeated abdominal ultrasound and serial serum α-fetoprotein estimations in order to identify early malignant lesions, but such strategies have yet to be proven to reduce mortality from HCC. Nonetheless, early detection would seem to offer a greater chance for application of potentially curative therapy. Different surveillance strategies may be necessary in different patient groups. For example, in chronic hepatitis C the increased risk of HCC seems to be confined to patients with established cirrhosis, whereas even noncirrhotic patients with HBV have a substantially increased risk of HCC. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png American Journal of Cancer Springer Journals

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References (249)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 by Adis Data Information BV
Subject
Pharmacy; Pharmacy
ISSN
1175-6357
DOI
10.2165/00024669-200403060-00003
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer in the world. Most patients still present late in the course of the disease so that curative therapy is rarely possible. Strategies developed to improve the prognosis include primary prevention, directed at the underlying liver diseases, secondary prevention by cancer surveillance and early intervention, and more effective therapies. Only childhood vaccination against hepatitis B (HBV) infection has been clearly documented to reduce the incidence of HCC. Eradication of the hepatitis B and C viruses by interferon in noncirrhotic patients may reduce the incidence of HCC. Removal of iron by phlebotomy in noncirrhotic patients with genetic hemochromatosis will largely prevent HCC. Many physicians offer secondary prevention by surveillance and early intervention involving repeated abdominal ultrasound and serial serum α-fetoprotein estimations in order to identify early malignant lesions, but such strategies have yet to be proven to reduce mortality from HCC. Nonetheless, early detection would seem to offer a greater chance for application of potentially curative therapy. Different surveillance strategies may be necessary in different patient groups. For example, in chronic hepatitis C the increased risk of HCC seems to be confined to patients with established cirrhosis, whereas even noncirrhotic patients with HBV have a substantially increased risk of HCC.

Journal

American Journal of CancerSpringer Journals

Published: Aug 9, 2012

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