Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for 70 – 85 % of primary liver cancers, ranking fifth among the most common malignancies worldwide and third as a cause of cancer death. Dominant etiological factors of HCC show great variations according to different geographic areas. In Asia, vertically transmitted hepatitis. B infection is a major contributor to HCC, which may emerge in non-cirrhotic livers due to direct oncogenic properties of the hepatitis B virus. In sub-Saharan Africa, dietary exposure to aflatoxin may synergize with the carcinogenic effects of chronic hepatitis B infection. In the Western world, HCC most often complicates cirrhosis evolving from chronic viral hepatitis B and C, alcoholic injury, or inherited disorders such as hemochromatosis [1,2].