A Review of Incidence and Related Risk Factors in the Development of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary liver malignancy, ranking as the seventh most common cancer globally and the second leading cause of deaths due to cancer. This review examines the incidence of HCC, its associated risk factors, and constantly changing global trends. Incidence has been noted to be varying worldwide, particularly due to environmental and infectious risk factors. Chronic hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) virus infections, alcohol abuse, aflatoxin exposure, diabetes, obesity, and tobacco consumption are some of the leading risk factors noted. Eastern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa were noted to have the highest disease burden for HCC, with China representing a considerably large majority. On the contrary, the United States reports a lower HCC incidence overall due to improved vaccination programs against HBV; however, with a rising incidence of prominent risk factor in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the trend may very well change. Gender disparities were noted to be evident with men experiencing higher rates of HCC compared to women, which may be due to various environmental and biological factors, including alcohol intake, smoking, and androgen hormone levels. Currently, efforts to reduce the overall incidence of HCC include universal HBV vaccinations, antiviral therapies, aflatoxin prevention measures, genetic screening for hereditary hemochromatosis, and early ultrasound evaluation in patients with liver cirrhosis. Understanding these evolving trends and risk factors is essential in combating the rising HCC incidence, especially in Western countries, where risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disorders, are on the rise.