Diabetes and Hepatocellular Carcinoma: What Role Does Diabetes Have in the Presence of Other Known Risk Factors?

Known risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) include hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and alcoholic liver disease. Several studies have examined diabetes as a risk factor for HCC because of its association with fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. The current study by Tung et al. found that neither diabetes nor overweight was a risk factor for HCC. Results were consistent using both a cross-sectional and a case-control study approach. Findings from this study suggest that diabetes and overweight alone are not adequate to increase the risk of HCC in the absence of concomitant viral hepatitis or liver disease.