6 recent reports on liver cancer risks, options to reduce odds

As cancer rates continue to rise throughout the U.S. and internationally, researchers have focused on defining factors and demographics correlated with a higher risk for hepatocellular carcinoma and extrahepatic liver cancer to guide clinical practice.

Healio Gastroenterology and Liver Disease presents the following reports on studies that revealed risk factors for liver cancer including incident diabetes and fatty liver, while an alternative diet and regular vigorous exercise reduced the risk for liver cancer.

Adherence to ‘Healthy Eating Index’ diet may reduce liver cancer risk

Adherence to the Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 dietary pattern may reduce the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma, according to a study published in Hepatology.

“Diets are complex combinations of nutrients and other compounds that act synergistically within individual foods and across food combinations, thus, evaluating the association of dietary pattern with health outcomes may capture dietary effects on health more completely,” Xuehong Zhang, MD, from Massachusetts General Hospital, and colleagues wrote. Read more

Regular vigorous exercise reduces liver cancer risk

Regular vigorous physical activity reduced the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma by approximately 45%, according to recently published data.

“The distribution of HCC varies greatly according to geographic location and it is more common in low- and middle-income countries than in developed countries,” Sebastian E. Baumeister, PhD, from the University of Greifswald in Germany, and colleagues wrote. “The recent increase in HCC incidence is thought to be caused by increases in obesity, diabetes, and physical inactivity.” Read more

Incident diabetes increases risk for liver cancer, hepatic diseases

Diabetes and high blood glucose levels among individuals without known diabetes correlated with increased risks for liver cancer and chronic liver disease, according results of a Chinese cohort study.

“The increase in diabetes prevalence is so recent [in China] that its impact on risk of liver cancer and liver diseases, if any, may not yet have fully emerged,” Yuanjie Pang, from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, and colleagues wrote. “Our finding linking diabetes with liver cancer was broadly consistent with those of previous prospective studies in Western and other East Asian populations.” Read more

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Oncimmune expands access to cancer risk lung, liver blood tests

Oncimmune Holdings entered into an agreement with America’s Choice Provider Network to expand access to the company’s EarlyCDT-Lung and EarlyCDT-Liver blood tests, designed to assess cancer risks, according to a press release.

“Our collaboration with America’s Choice Provider Network is one of several payor and provider agreements we have recently finalized to ensure as many people as possible in the U.S. are able to use our EarlyCDT tests to facilitate earlier diagnoses,” Marco Casarin, general manager of Oncimmune, said in the release. Read more

Extrahepatic cancer risk increases after HCV SVR

Extrahepatic cancer was more common in patients with hepatitis C and was the leading cause of death in patients who achieved sustained virologic response compared with the general population, according to results of a French cohort study.

“A sustained viral response (SVR) in HCV patients and maintained viral suppression (MVR) by nucleos(t)ide analogues in HBV patients have changed the clinical course of viral cirrhosis during recent decades,” Manon Allaire, MD, from the Hospital Center University of Caen Normandie in France, and colleagues wrote. “Our results suggest a role for viral replication in the carcinogenesis of lymphoproliferative disorders, although the mechanism by which HCV may cause hematological malignancies remains unclear.” Read more

Fatty liver imposes 91% higher risk for cancer

Patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease carried a 91% higher risk for malignancy and the risk for cancer with obesity is “driven by NAFLD,” according to a presentation at The Liver Meeting 2018.

“The risk of malignancy was higher in NAFLD vs. controls ... 91% higher than the general population when we take all cancers into account,” Alina M. Allen, MD, of Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., said during her presentation. “Obesity is associated with a higher risk of cancer only in those with NAFLD and not in those without.” Read more