SCREENING FOR PREVENTION OF HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA IN PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITH VIRAL HEPATITIS (2012-2015)
Abstract:
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide. Over
80% of hepatocellular carcinomas are believed to be closely related to chronic infections with hepatitis
B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV).(1,2) Due to the limited number of treatment options which are
now available, HCC is often associated with a poor prognosis and thus it remains the third leading
cause of cancer-related deaths. Given the fact that hepatic carcinogenesis is a complex process
requiring a long-term development, both the hepatitis B and/or hepatitis C viral infection(s) and the
hepatic cirrhosis are the major risk factors that lead to the development of hepatic neoplasm.(3,4) The
importance of this pathology derives from several aspects, such as the high number of patients
diagnosed with hepatic neoplasm and the liver-related mortality rate that is on the rise, reaching
alarming levels, particularly due to the fact that most of the HCC patients present with clinical
symptoms when HCC is in a far advanced-stage.(5) This study is conducted over 150 patients treated at
“Fundeni” Hospital of Bucharest from 2012 to 2015 and it approaches the screening methods for early
detection of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients diagnosed with viral hepatitis infections
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