The Increasing Incidence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 340; no. 10; pp. 798 - 799
• Main Authors: Ince, Nedim, Wands, Jack R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Massachusetts Medical Society 11-03-1999
• Subjects: Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - epidemiology; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - etiology; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - prevention & control; Hepatitis B, Chronic - complications; Hepatitis C, Chronic - complications; Humans; Incidence; Liver Neoplasms - epidemiology; Liver Neoplasms - etiology; Liver Neoplasms - prevention & control; United States - epidemiology; United States
• ISSN: 0028-4793; 1533-4406
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJM199903113401009

Primary hepatocellular carcinoma, one of the most common tumors in the world today, is occurring with increasing frequency in the United States, as shown in the study by El-Serag and Mason in this issue of the
Journal.
1
The most likely reason for this rising incidence is the spread of hepatitis virus infection in the population. Indeed, there is no better example of a tumor that is associated with persistent viral infection than hepatocellular carcinoma. Two viruses cause almost all these tumors: hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV).
The global distribution of hepatocellular carcinoma correlates with the geographic . . .