Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis-induced hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

The incidence and prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)-related cirrhosis is globally increasing, especially among communities with sedentary lifestyles. NASH-related liver cirrhosis is an emerging etiology of liver cancer. Given the increasing rates of obesity and the other risk factors of NAFLD/NASH such as diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome, NASH-related liver cancer will remain a challenging disease in the coming decades. Recent reports have shown that NASH also can cause hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) directly without causing liver cirrhosis, the so-called noncirrhotic liver cancer. Furthermore, the pathogenicity of noncirrhotic HCC caused by NASH is not well understood and needs more future research. In the present time, NASH-related HCC has become one of the leading indications of liver transplantation. However, as the major risk factors of NASH are controllable, NASH-related HCC is a potentially preventable condition.