Liver cancer / hepatocellular carcinoma

Both chronic HBV and HCV drastically increase the likelihood of a type of liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A person with HCV-related cirrhosis has an annual risk of 1 to 6% of developing liver cancer. Most cases occur after a person has been infected with HCV for 20 or more years, but HCC may develop sooner in people co-infected with HIV. Among people with HCV, HCC can occur in the absence of cirrhosis, but such cases are rare. The genetic predisposition of patients is thought to influence the likelihood of HCC, just as it is thought to influence the occurrence of other types of cancer. Although lifestyle factors are generally under-researched in HCV, alcohol intake is definitely a contributory factor in the development of HCC.

HCC is an aggressive cancer that is difficult to treat. It is hard to detect at early stages because it usually does not cause symptoms. Resection (cutting out a tumour) is the only option for some individuals. Some small tumours can be cut out, but the likelihood that a new tumour will develop is high. Tumours may also be destroyed by cryosurgery (freezing) or radiation. If tumours are large, the cancer has spread or there is a build-up of pressure (hypertension) in the portal vein in the liver, resection carries a high chance of liver failure. For patients for whom resection is not an option, injection of ethanol into the tumour is one treatment that may improve survival. Another method involves injecting chemotherapeutic drugs directly into the tumours blood supply.