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Alcohol and hepatocellular carcinoma
Hiroshi Matsushita1, Akinobu Takaki1
1Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
BMJ Open Gastroenterology
|May 30, 2019
Summary
Alcohol is a carcinogen that increases liver cancer risk. Mechanisms include acetaldehyde, oxidative stress, and interactions with viral hepatitis, though poorly understood.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Carcinogenesis
- Immunology
Background:
- Alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen, increasing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk by 3-10 fold.
- Excessive alcohol intake can lead to fatty liver, hepatitis, cirrhosis, and ultimately HCC.
- Alcohol's role in cancer is recognized by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the mechanisms of alcohol-related liver carcinogenesis.
- To explore the interplay between alcohol, immune mechanisms, and cancer development.
- To synthesize current knowledge on alcohol's carcinogenic effects in the liver.
Main Methods:
- A qualitative review of literature was performed.
- Searches were conducted on PubMed using terms related to alcohol, immune mechanisms, and cancer.
- Articles were summarized to provide an overview of the topic.
Main Results:
- Alcohol interacts with factors like smoking, viral hepatitis, and diabetes to elevate HCC risk.
- Potential mechanisms include acetaldehyde mutagenicity and ROS production from iron deposition.
- Alcohol may accelerate hepatitis C virus-driven liver cancer via TLR4 signaling.
Conclusions:
- Alcohol is a significant factor in liver carcinogenesis.
- The precise mechanisms underlying alcohol-induced liver cancer require further elucidation.
- This review consolidates findings from clinical and pathological studies on alcohol's carcinogenic effects.
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