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Hepatocellular carcinoma in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A growing challenge.

ABSTRACT: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of liver disease worldwide, and its prevalence increases continuously. As it predisposes to hepatocellular carcinoma both in the presence and in the absence of cirrhosis, it is not surprising that the incidence of NAFLD-related hepatocellular carcinoma would also rise. Some of the mechanisms involved in hepatocarcinogenesis are particular to individuals with fatty liver, and they help explain why liver cancer develops even in patients without cirrhosis. Genetic and immune-mediated mechanisms seem to play an important role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in this population. Currently, it is consensual that patients with NAFLD-related cirrhosis should be surveilled with ultrasonography every 6 mo (with or without alpha-fetoprotein), but it is known that they are less likely to follow this recommendation than individuals with other kinds of liver disease. Moreover, the performance of the methods of surveillance are lower in NAFLD than they are in other liver diseases. Furthermore, it is not clear which subgroups of patients without cirrhosis should undergo surveillance. Understanding the mechanisms of hepatocarcinogenesis in NAFLD could hopefully lead to the identification of biomarkers to be used in the surveillance for liver cancer in these individuals. By improving surveillance, tumors could be detected in earlier stages, amenable to curative treatments.

SUBMITTER: Mattos AZ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8473502 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Non-alcoholic liver disease (NAFLD) defines liver abnormalities ranging from simple steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis with or without cirrhosis development, occurring in the absence of significant alcohol consumption, use of teratogenic medication, or hereditary disorders. The association between NAFLD and metabolic syndrome is well documented and widely recognized. Obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and dyslipidemia are the most common metabolic risk factors associated with NAFLD. Among the components of metabolic syndrome, current evidence strongly indicates obesity and diabetes as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk factors. There is also growing evidence that suggests an increased risk of HCC in NAFLD patients, even surpassing other etiologies in some high-income countries. Epidemiologic data demonstrate a parallel rise in prevalence of obesity, diabetes, NAFLD, and HCC. As obesity and its related diseases have steadily afflicted larger populations, HCC incidence is expected to increase in the future. Pathophysiologic mechanisms that underlie NAFLD development and subsequent progression to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and cirrhosis (insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia, oxidative stress, hepatic stellate cell activation, cytokine/adipocytokine signaling pathways, and genetic and environmental factors) appear to play a significant role in the development of NAFLD-related HCC. However, a comprehensive view of molecular mechanisms linking obesity, T2DM, and NAFLD-related HCC, as well as the exact sequence of molecular events, is still not understood in its entirety. Good-quality data are still necessary, and efforts should continue towards better understanding the underlying carcinogenic mechanisms of NAFLD-related HCC. In this paper, we aimed to centralize the most important links supporting these relationships, focusing on obesity, T2DM, and NAFLD-related HCC, as well as point out the major gaps in knowledge regarding the underlying molecular mechanisms behind them.

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Hepatocellular carcinoma in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A growing challenge.

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