Thursday, August 6, 2009
The enormous burden of liver cancer on society becomes clear by considering the fact
that approximately 625,000 new cases of this cancer are diagnosed globally each year.
Distressingly, the number of deaths is approximately the same at 598,000 per year. Liver
cancer, therefore, is the third most common cause of death from cancer. Survival rates
for liver cancer are only 3–5% globally. In the United States, 19,160 new cases of liver
cancer and 16,780 deaths were reported for 2007. The major risk factors for this cancer
include prior infection with hepatitis B and C viruses, with the former more prevalent.
Dietary exposure to fungus Aspergillus fumigatus (aflatoxins) also contributes to the
incidence of liver cancer in many parts of the world. Tobacco use is the most serious
preventable cause of cancer, as its use causes cancer of the lung, throat, mouth, liver,
pancreas, urinary bladder, stomach, kidney, as well as other types. Alcohol-induced liver
injury is another major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
In view of these devastating statistics, the urgency of deciphering the molecular mechanism
underlying this disease, perfecting reliable diagnostic methods, understanding
risk factors, developing effective targeted drugs, improving other treatments, assessing
the effectiveness of therapies, and providing improved care for post-treatment patients,
becomes apparent. This volume provides up-to-date information on the above-mentioned
aspects of liver cancer; specifically, details of the methodologies used are included. The
other seven volumes in this series provide similar information on other types of cancers.
This series of handbooks has taken the unique approach of discussing cancer diagnosis,
treatment, and prognosis in the same volume. It is pointed out that this vast subject
cannot be fully discussed by only one author. This is the primary reason for inviting a
large number of oncologists/clinicians/surgeons to write each of the eight volumes of
this series of handbooks. Another advantage of involving more than one author is to
present different points of view on a specific controversial aspect of cancer. I hope these
goals were accomplished in this and other published volumes of this series.
M.A. Hayat
