Park CH, Jeong SH, Yim HW, Kim JD, Bae SH, Choi JY, Yoon SK. Family history influences the early onset of hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Gastroenterol 2012; 18(21): 2661-2667 [PMID: 22690075 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v18.i21.2661]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Seung Kew Yoon, MD, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, No. 505, Banpo-Dong, Seocho-Gu, Seoul 137-701, South Korea. yoonsk@catholic.ac.kr
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World J Gastroenterol. Jun 7, 2012; 18(21): 2661-2667 Published online Jun 7, 2012. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v18.i21.2661
Family history influences the early onset of hepatocellular carcinoma
Chung-Hwa Park, Seung-Hee Jeong, Hyeon-Woo Yim, Jin Dong Kim, Si Hyun Bae, Jong Young Choi, Seung Kew Yoon
Chung-Hwa Park, Jin Dong Kim, Si Hyun Bae, Jong Young Choi, Seung Kew Yoon, Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 137-701, South Korea
Seung-Hee Jeong, Hyeon-Woo Yim, Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 137-701, South Korea
Seung-Hee Jeong, Hyeon-Woo Yim, Clinical Research Coordinating Center of Catholic Medical Center, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 137-701, South Korea
Author contributions: Park CH contributed in designing the study, wrote the manuscript and participated in the statistical analysis; Jeong SH contributed in the majority of the statistical analysis; Yim HW co-ordinated and supported the statistical analysis; Kim JD, Bae SH and Choi JY provided the collection of all the data, analytical tools, and were involved in editing the manuscript; Yoon SK designed and co-ordinated the whole study, mainly edited the manuscript and provided the financial support.
Supported by Nuclear R and D Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology, South Korea, No. 2010-0017595; and a grant from the Korea Health 21 R and D Project, No. A070001, Ministry of Health and Welfare, South Korea
Correspondence to: Seung Kew Yoon, MD, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, No. 505, Banpo-Dong, Seocho-Gu, Seoul 137-701, South Korea. yoonsk@catholic.ac.kr
Telephone: +82-2-22587534 Fax: +82-2-34814025
Received: October 5, 2011 Revised: December 19, 2011 Accepted: April 28, 2012 Published online: June 7, 2012
Abstract
AIM: To evaluate the relationship between a positive family history of primary liver cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in Korean HCC patients.
METHODS: We studied a total of 2242 patients diagnosed with HCC between January 1990 and July 2008, whose family history of primary liver cancer was clearly described in the medical records.
RESULTS: Of the 2242 patients, 165 (7.4%) had a positive family history of HCC and 2077 (92.6%) did not. The male to female ratio was 3.6:1, and the major causes of HCC were chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in 75.1%, chronic hepatitis C virus infection in 13.2% and alcohol in 3.1%. The median ages at diagnosis in the positive- and negative-history groups were 52 years (range: 29-79 years) and 57 years (range: 18-89 years), respectively (P < 0.0001). Furthermore, among 1713 HCC patients with HBV infection, the number of patients under 45 years of age out of 136 patients with positive family history was 26 (19.1%), whereas those out of 1577 patients with negative family history was 197 (12.5%), suggesting that a positive family history may be associated with earlier development of HCC in the Korean population (P = 0.0028).
CONCLUSION: More intensive surveillance maybe recommended to those with a positive family history of HCC for earlier diagnosis and proper management especially when HBV infection is present.
