[Bile acid metabolism and the occurrence and development of primary liver cancer]

Primary liver cancer is a common malignant tumor with a high mortality rate. Therefore, early-stage diagnosis and screening are of enormous significance. In recent years, studies have found that bile acids play a key role in the occurrence and development of liver cancer and are expected to become novel diagnostic markers and intervention targets. This article reviews the abnormal changes in bile acid metabolism during the occurrence and development of liver cancer, including the changes in bile acid composition and levels in liver tissue, plasma, feces, and urine, as well as the changes in enzymes related to bile acid metabolism. Furthermore, it expounds the mechanism by which bile acids affect the occurrence of liver cancer, such as participating in multiple signaling pathways to initiate the occurrence and affecting the immune microenvironment, and discusses the potential of bile acids as diagnostic markers for prevention and treatment strategies targeting bile acid metabolism. Bile acids have potential value in the diagnosis and prevention of liver cancer; yet, there are still challenges. In the future, it is necessary to build a large-scale follow-up cohort and biobank, innovate technology for detecting bile acids, and integrate it with multi-omics so as to improve the accuracy of early-stage diagnosis and prevention and treatment of liver cancer.