Family history of liver cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Abstract

UNLABELLED:

Familial clustering of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been frequently reported in eastern Asiatic countries, where hepatitis B infection is common. Little is known about the relationship between family history of liver cancer and HCC in Western populations. We carried out a case-control study in Italy, involving 229 HCC cases and 431 hospital controls. Data on family history were summarized through a binary indicator (yes/no) and a family history score (FHscore), considering selected family characteristics. Odds ratios (ORs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained from unconditional multiple logistic regression models, including terms for age, sex, study center, education, tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, hepatitis B surface antigen, and/or anti-hepatitis C virus positivity. We also performed a meta-analysis on family history of liver cancer and liver cancer updated to April 2011 using random-effects models. After adjustment for chronic infection with hepatitis B/C viruses, family history of liver cancer was associated with HCC risk, when using both the binary indicator (OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.01-5.58) and the FHscore, with increasing ORs for successive score categories. Compared to subjects without family history and no chronic infection with hepatitis B/C viruses, the OR for those exposed to both risk factors was 72.48 (95% CI, 21.92-239.73). In the meta-analysis, based on nine case-control and four cohort studies, for a total of approximately 3,600 liver cancer cases, the pooled relative risk for family history of liver cancer was 2.50 (95% CI, 2.06-3.03).

CONCLUSION:

A family history of liver cancer increases HCC risk, independently of hepatitis. The combination of family history of liver cancer and hepatitis B/C serum markers is associated with an over 70-fold elevated HCC risk.

• Authors: Federica Turati, Valeria Edefonti, Renato Talamini, Monica Ferraroni, Matteo Malvezzi, Francesca Bravi, Silvia Franceschi, Maurizio Montella, Jerry Polesel, Antonella Zucchetto, Carlo La Vecchia, Eva Negri, Adriano Decarli
• Journal: Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) (Hepatology) Vol. 55 Issue 5 Pg. 1416-25 (May 2012) ISSN: 1527-3350 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 22095619 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2011 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

Topics

• Adult
• Age Distribution
• Aged
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular (epidemiology, genetics)
• Case-Control Studies
• Confidence Intervals
• Female
• Genetic Predisposition to Disease (epidemiology)
• Humans
• Italy (epidemiology)
• Liver Neoplasms (epidemiology, genetics)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Odds Ratio
• Pedigree
• Prevalence
• Reference Values
• Risk Assessment
• Sex Distribution
• Survival Analysis