Chronic Hepatitis B and Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HOC) is the fifth most common cancer in the world and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. More than 80% of HOC cases are from the Asian and African continents, and more than 50% of cases are from mainland China. Approximately 350 million to 400 million persons are chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV), and this virus is the most common cause of HOC worldwide. It is estimated that more than 50% of liver cancers worldwide are attributable to HBV and up to 89% of HBV-related HCC are from developing countries. Recently, increasing trends in HOC incidence have been reported from several Western countries, including France, Australia, and the United States.