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Updated: Feb 26, 2026

A Three-Dimensional Spheroid Model to Investigate the Tumor-Stromal Interaction in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Published on: September 30, 2021
Acute hepatic porphyria and cancer risk: a nationwide cohort study
C M Baravelli1, S Sandberg1,2,3, A K Aarsand1,3
1Norwegian Porphyria Centre (NAPOS), Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
Background:
Acute hepatic porphyria (AHP) is considered to be a risk factor for primary liver cancer (PLC), but varying risk estimates have been published.
Objectives:
Our aim was to investigate the risk of PLC and other cancers in persons with AHP using a nationwide cohort design. Given that greater numbers of women than men tend to have manifest and more severe AHP, a further aim was to investigate sex differences in this risk.
Methods:
The study sample consisted of all Norwegian residents aged 18 years or older during the period 2000-2011. Persons with AHP (n = 251) were identified through the Norwegian Porphyria Centre, and patients with a cancer diagnosis were identified by linkage to the Cancer Registry of Norway.
Results:
For persons with AHP, the annual incidence rate of PLC was 0.35%. PLC risk was substantially higher for individuals with an AHP diagnosis compared to the reference population [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 108, 95% confidence interval (CI) 56-207]. In a meta-analysis of published studies on PLC and AHP, including ours, women had a higher risk than men. In addition, our results suggested that persons with AHP may have increased risks of kidney (aHR 7.4, 95% CI 2.4-23.1) and endometrial cancers (aHR 6.2, 95% CI 2.0-19.3).
Conclusions:
Our findings confirmed a substantially higher risk of PLC associated with AHP compared to the general population. In a meta-analysis, the risk was shown to be greater for women than men. The novel findings of a moderate to substantial association between AHP and kidney and endometrial cancers should be investigated further.
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