Hepatocellular carcinoma - Global burden and risk factors

Abstract

Global Burden. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide and has been recently reviewed 1, 2. The incidence ranges from <10 cases per 100,000 population in North America and Western Europe as well as in Iran, Iraque and India to 50-150 cases per 100,000 population in parts of Africa and Asia (Fig. 1) where HCC is responsible for a large proportion of cancer deaths 3. However, a rise in the incidence of and mortality from HCC, most likely reflecting the increased prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, has recently been observed in most industrialized countries 4.