An Overview of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Surveillance Focusing on Non-Cirrhotic NAFLD Patients: A Challenge for Physicians.

ABSTRACT: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of liver disease worldwide and it ranges from simple steatosis to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC represents the first liver tumor and the third source of cancer death. In the next few years, the prevalence of NAFLD and consequently of HCC is estimated to increase, becoming a major public health problem. The NAFLD-HCC shows several differences compared to other causes of chronic liver disease (CLD), including the higher percentage of patients that develop HCC in the absence of liver cirrhosis. In HCC surveillance, the international guidelines suggest a six months abdominal ultrasound (US), with or without alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) evaluation, in patients with cirrhosis and in a subgroup of patients with chronic hepatitis

SUBMITTER: Cespiati A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9953185 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature