State of the Art: Hepatocellular Carcinoma
State of the Art: Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer, mainly occurring in cirrhotic livers (in 80–90% of cases) after years of chronic inflammation. The pathogenesis of HCC is a multistep process associated with changes in the host gene expression of multiple redundant negative-growth regulatory pathways that protect cells against transformation. An imbalance between the proliferation and apoptosis of liver cells is thought to promote tumor development. Annually, 3–6% of cirrhotic patients will develop HCC, mainly men with advanced liver disease. Recent trends in the USA show that men are affected three-times more frequently than women, Asians are affected twice as often as blacks and Hispanics, and blacks are affected twice as often as whites. One explanation for the disproportionate effects of HCC in men may be due to the higher estrogen concentrations present in women, which suppress IL-6 production and inhibit chemically induced liver carcinogenesis.
Abstract and Introduction
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer, mainly occurring in cirrhotic livers (in 80–90% of cases) after years of chronic inflammation. The pathogenesis of HCC is a multistep process associated with changes in the host gene expression of multiple redundant negative-growth regulatory pathways that protect cells against transformation. An imbalance between the proliferation and apoptosis of liver cells is thought to promote tumor development. Annually, 3–6% of cirrhotic patients will develop HCC, mainly men with advanced liver disease. Recent trends in the USA show that men are affected three-times more frequently than women, Asians are affected twice as often as blacks and Hispanics, and blacks are affected twice as often as whites. One explanation for the disproportionate effects of HCC in men may be due to the higher estrogen concentrations present in women, which suppress IL-6 production and inhibit chemically induced liver carcinogenesis.
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