Dr. Manns on Risk Factors for Hepatitis C-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Michael Manns, MD, the Director of the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology at the Medical School of Hannover in Germany, explains risk factors for hepatitis C-related hepatocellular carcinoma.

Patients who have had hepatitis C or cirrhosis have a greater risk of developing HCC, said Manns. However, it is difficult to confirm if clearing the virus decreases risk of HCC because almost all patients diagnosed with hepatitis C or cirrhosis are treated for the viruses, leaving no control group to compare risk factors with.

New strategies for surveillance of HCC risk are needed, says Manns. These could include understanding the connections between age and having high-alpha one fetoprotein and HCC.