Obesity and Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Obesity is recognized as a major risk factor for multiple types of cancers, especially in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC is the most common form of liver cancer, which has a rapid growing prevalence and one of the worst survival rates of all the major cancers. Considering that curable drugs for hepatitis C virus (HCV) are now available, the precipitously spreading epidemic's new risk factors obesity, type 2 diabetes, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) may contribute to the rapid increase in HCC prevalence. Apart from the nonalcoholic steatohepatitis–related cirrhosis, which provides the most conducive microenvironment for hepatocarcinogenesis, the most worrisome aspects of these new risk factors are their links with HCC arising in noncirrhotic livers. Obesity-associated inflammatory, metabolic, and endocrine mediators, as well as the functioning of the gut microbiota, are suspected to contribute to tumorigenesis.