The role of hepatitis C virus in hepatocellular carcinoma in Japan.
Increasing numbers of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been reported in Japan. In this paper, we investigated the role of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in HCC and the reason for the increase, using patients admitted to our university hospital from 1945 to 1992. 99 (73%) of 135 patients with HCC were positive for anti-HCV. Prospective studies demonstrated that 22 of 158 (14%) patients with chronic hepatitis C, and 31 of 70 (44%) cirrhotic patients with anti-HCV developed to HCC during the follow-up period (10.1 +/- 3.3 and 7.3 +/- 3.5 years, respectively). Prolonged survival of cirrhotic patients during past decades would also contribute to the increasing number of HCC cases as well as the number of HCV infections in Japan.
Kaneko
S
S
First Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Japan.
Unoura
M
M
Takeuchi
M
M
Terasaki
S
S
Ogino
H
H
Matsushita
E
E
Kobayashi
K
K
D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D015996:Survival Rate
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies