Hepatocellular carcinoma. An overview.
Hepatocellular carcinoma is a common malignancy affecting approximately one million people around the world every year. The incidence is low in the occidental world and high in locations such as Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Hepatocellular carcinoma primarily affects old people, reaching its highest prevalence among those aged 65 to 69 years old. Chronic infection by the hepatitis B virus is the most common cause of this disease. Other important causes are cirrhosis, chronic viral hepatitis (hepatitis C virus, and hepatitis B plus D viruses), alcohol abuse, obesity, hemochromatosis, alfa1-antitripsin deficiency, and toxins similar to aflatoxin. In most cases, hepatocellular carcinoma is asymptomatic and has a low life expectancy. This article presents a review of the most important epidemiological, diagnostic and treatment data about this disease.
Department of Biomedical Research and Liver Unit, Medica Sur Clinic & Foundation, Mexico City, Mexico.
Daniel
D
Motola-Kuba
Daniel
D
Zamora-Valdés
Misael
M
Uribe
Nahum
N
Méndez-Sánchez
D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D015984:Causality; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015994:Incidence; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016019:Survival Analysis