This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Aetiology

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Causes include:

  • in 80% of cases there is some existing liver cirrhosis: major cause in developed world is pre-existing alcoholic liver cirrhosis.
  • other causes of primary liver cancer include:
    • chronic HBV or HCV carriage
    • cirrhosis of any cause but especially alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, haemochromatosis, primary biliary cirrhosis
  • drugs such as anabolic steroids and the contraceptive pill
  • toxins such as aflatoxin - a toxin produced by species of Aspergillus which grows on stored grains and peanuts
  • parasitic infestations for example, schistosomiasis, echinococcus, clonorchis sinensis

10 to 15% of all types of cirrhosis develop hepatocellular carcinoma in 20 years; 35% if the cirrhosis is caused by haemochromatosis or alcohol.


Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.