The Increasing Incidence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Primary hepatocellular carcinoma, one of the most common tumors in the world today, is occurring with increasing frequency in the United States, as shown in the study by El-Serag and Mason in this issue of the Journal. 1 The most likely reason for this rising incidence is the spread of hepatitis virus infection in the population. Indeed, there is no better example of a tumor that is associated with persistent viral infection than hepatocellular carcinoma. Two viruses cause almost all these tumors: hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). The global distribution of hepatocellular carcinoma correlates with the geographic . . .