Serum Protein Kinase C Delta: New Kid on the Block for Early Detection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world.1 Age-standardized incidence rates of HCC are highest in Asia and Africa; however, both incidence and mortality are rapidly rising in the United States and Europe due to a shift in epidemiology of HCC from viral hepatitis to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease–related cancer.2 Given the dual clinical challenges of detection at late stages and the high incidence-to-mortality ratio of HCC,3 major hepatology societies have recommended abdominal ultrasound with or without alpha fetoprotein (AFP) as the primary HCC surveillance strategy for at-risk patients.