Hepatocellular carcinoma and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Abstract

The modern sedentary lifestyle has led to a global epidemic of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), as a hepatic manifestation of MetS and obesity, is the most common chronic liver disease today, affecting about a quarter of the population. NAFLD is a clinical syndrome that includes several conditions: simple steatosis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The last ten years have seen an increase in the incidence of HCC, which is largely attributed to the increase in the incidence of MetS and, as a result, of NAFLD. In the coming years, NAFLD will become the leading etiological factor for the development of HCC, and thus a leading indication for liver transplantation.