肝癌撲滅をめざして

Abstract

The number of case with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Japan has been increasing since about 1975. The majority of HCCs are associated with infection by hepatitis B virus (HBV) or Hepatitis C virus (HCV), especially by HCV. Once HCC has occurred, it's survival rate is very low because of high recurrence rate in spite of recent advances in treatment such as surgical management, transcatheter arterial embolization and percutaneous ethanol injection therapy and so on. Prevention like block of HBV transmission from infected mothers to neonates by HB immunoglobulin and HB vaccine, block of HCV transmission by sensitive HCV screening and interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis C is therefore very important and most effective. On the other hand, many factors and genetic alterations responsible for hepatocarcinogenesis have been indentified by means of recent molecular approaches. As a result, new strategies for treatment which are able to control such factors and genetic alterations are anticipated in the near future.