title: Factors determining the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis B surface antigen carriers. A comparison between families with clusters and solitary cases.
abstract: This article documents five families with clusters of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), including one in which three successive generations were involved. All the 12 patients in these five families and 96.3% of the patients in 54 families with solitary cases of HCC seen during the same period were hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive. The prevalence of HBsAg in families with clusters and solitary cases of HCC was compared. The clustering of HCC in the five families reported could not be accounted for by a higher HBsAg carrier rate or an earlier age of onset of the hepatitis B virus infection. An attempt was made to identify the factors that determine the development of HCC in HBsAg carriers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lok
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010375:Pedigree; D013029:Space-Time Clustering
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens