A case-control study of risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma in Henan, China.

Abstract

Abstract. A case-control study was carried out to investigate risk factors in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Henan, China. A total of 152 patients with HCC and 115 control patients with nonhepatic disease were included in this study. The risk factor analysis indicated that individual history of liver disease (odds ratio [OR] ϭ 11.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] ϭ 3.94-35.18), family history of liver disease (OR ϭ 11.80, 95% CI ϭ 2.75-50.61), drinking of alcohol (OR ϭ 1.06, 95% CI ϭ 1.02-1.10), corn consumption (OR ϭ 19.43, 95% CI ϭ 3.67-102.98), peanut and peanut oil consumption (OR ϭ 13.75, 95% CI ϭ 3.69-51.16), and infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) (OR ϭ 44.59, 95% CI ϭ 12.54-158.49) were significantly different between the case and control groups (P Ͻ 0.01). We also found that there was a dose-response relationship between drinking of alcohol and development of HCC, whereas heavy drinkers experienced an approximately 3-4-fold risk increase compared with nondrinkers. In further analysis, a 1:1 pair-matched case-control study was performed. One hundred thirteen of 152 HCC patients were randomly selected to be pair-matched by sex and age (Ϯ 5 years) with the controls with nonhepatic disease. The results from the 1:1 pair-matched case-control study were consistent with the results from the group-matched case-control study. The findings of this study suggest that hepatitis virus (HBV, HCV) infection, drinking of alcohol, and dietary exposure to aflatoxin are likely etiologic agents of HCC in Henan, China.Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers in the world, particularly in Africa and Asia.

Inpatients' Knowledge about Primary Liver Cancer and Hepatitis

“…Tobacco is responsible for about 50,000 liver cancer related deaths each year in China, chiefly among men with chronic HBV infection and hepatitis (Zhang et al, 1998). The Chaoshan area has high tobacco 'smoking' rates, 70.71% of males and 3.04% of female participants were tobacco smokers, and few people expressed the intention to cease cigarettes.…”

Management of hepatocellular carcinoma

“…These include an elevated AFP concentration, [104][105][106] presence of macroregenerative nodules, 107 small and large cell dysplasia on biopsy, 62,108,109 irregular regeneration (irregular margins to regenerative nodules) 110 and increased labeling index for proliferating cell nuclear antigen or silver staining of the nucloeolar organizing region. [111][112][113][114][115] Although such patients are at more immediate risk of developing HCC they will likely already be in surveillance programs because of other recognized risk factors such as cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis B.…”

“…118 Furthermore, a persistently elevated AFP has been clearly shown to be a risk factor for HCC. 104,105 Thus, the AFP can be used to help define patients at risk, but appears to have limited utility as a screening test.…”

Antibody detection using tumor-associated antigen mini-array in immunodiagnosing human hepatocellular carcinoma

“…Most of the previous studies from China and other countries demonstrated that hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, dietary exposure to aflatoxin and excessive alcohol consumption were the principal etiological factors for HCC [18][19][20][21][22][23]. The majority of people with HCC will die within 1 year of its detection.…”