Prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma
Because of its frequency and grave prognosis, preventing hepatocellular carcinoma is an urgent priority. Prevention should be possible because environmental carcinogens-chronic hepatitis B and C virus infections, dietary exposure to aflatoxins, and iron overload-cause the great majority of these tum...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2010-04-01
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| Series: | Annals of Hepatology |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1665268119316503 |
| _version_ | 1818588202994237440 |
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| author | Michael C. Kew |
| author_facet | Michael C. Kew |
| author_sort | Michael C. Kew |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Because of its frequency and grave prognosis, preventing hepatocellular carcinoma is an urgent priority. Prevention should be possible because environmental carcinogens-chronic hepatitis B and C virus infections, dietary exposure to aflatoxins, and iron overload-cause the great majority of these tumors. Chronic hepatitis B virus infection accounts for 55% of global hepatocellular carcinomas and 80% of those in the high-incidence Asia Pacific and sub-Saharan African regions. In these regions the infection that becomes chronic is predominantly acquired very early in life. A safe and effective vaccine against this virus is available and its universal inclusion in the immunization of infants has already resulted in a marked reduction of chronic infection and a 70% decrease in the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in those immunized. Chronic hepatitis C virus infection is the major cause of hepatocellular carcinoma in industrialized countries. The infection is mainly acquired in adulthood and, until a vaccine becomes available, prevention will consist mainly of identifying, counselling, and treating chronically infected individuals, preventing spread of the virus by the use of safe injection practices (particularly in intravenous drug abusers), and screening all donated blood for the presence of the virus. 4.5 billion of the world’s population are exposed to dietary aflatoxins. Prevention involves treating susceptible crops to prevent fungal contamination, and handling the foodstuffs in such a way as to prevent contamination during storage. Iron overload in hereditary hemo-chromatosis can be prevented by repeated venesection and in African dietary iron overload by fermenting the home-brewed beer in iron-free containers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T09:21:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-72acc6e2b16240008895c39d5cf25cd6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1665-2681 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T09:21:01Z |
| publishDate | 2010-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Annals of Hepatology |
| spelling | doaj.art-72acc6e2b16240008895c39d5cf25cd62022-12-21T22:36:47ZengElsevierAnnals of Hepatology1665-26812010-04-0192120132Prevention of hepatocellular carcinomaMichael C. Kew0Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, and Department of Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Correspondence and reprint request:Because of its frequency and grave prognosis, preventing hepatocellular carcinoma is an urgent priority. Prevention should be possible because environmental carcinogens-chronic hepatitis B and C virus infections, dietary exposure to aflatoxins, and iron overload-cause the great majority of these tumors. Chronic hepatitis B virus infection accounts for 55% of global hepatocellular carcinomas and 80% of those in the high-incidence Asia Pacific and sub-Saharan African regions. In these regions the infection that becomes chronic is predominantly acquired very early in life. A safe and effective vaccine against this virus is available and its universal inclusion in the immunization of infants has already resulted in a marked reduction of chronic infection and a 70% decrease in the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in those immunized. Chronic hepatitis C virus infection is the major cause of hepatocellular carcinoma in industrialized countries. The infection is mainly acquired in adulthood and, until a vaccine becomes available, prevention will consist mainly of identifying, counselling, and treating chronically infected individuals, preventing spread of the virus by the use of safe injection practices (particularly in intravenous drug abusers), and screening all donated blood for the presence of the virus. 4.5 billion of the world’s population are exposed to dietary aflatoxins. Prevention involves treating susceptible crops to prevent fungal contamination, and handling the foodstuffs in such a way as to prevent contamination during storage. Iron overload in hereditary hemo-chromatosis can be prevented by repeated venesection and in African dietary iron overload by fermenting the home-brewed beer in iron-free containers.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1665268119316503Hepatitis B virusHepatitis B virus vaccineHepatitis C virusCirrhosisAflatoxinIron overload |
| spellingShingle | Michael C. Kew Prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma Annals of Hepatology Hepatitis B virus Hepatitis B virus vaccine Hepatitis C virus Cirrhosis Aflatoxin Iron overload |
| title | Prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma |
| title_full | Prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma |
| title_fullStr | Prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma |
| title_short | Prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma |
| title_sort | prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma |
| topic | Hepatitis B virus Hepatitis B virus vaccine Hepatitis C virus Cirrhosis Aflatoxin Iron overload |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1665268119316503 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT michaelckew preventionofhepatocellularcarcinoma |