What is the connection between hepatitis and liver cancer?
The relationship between hepatitis and liver cancer is the cause. Although there are other problems that can lead to liver cancer, chronic cases of hepatitis infection are among the most common. This is evidenced by a higher percentage of people in some Asian and African countries who have liver cancer related to infections to chronic hepatitis B. In such places, infection is common to this virus at a young age and after many years of illness develops a high percentage of people living in these countries. In other countries where chronic hepatitis B infection is not so predominant, hepatitis C is more frequent by the culprit in the diagnosis of liver cancer.
The relationship between hepatitis and liver cancer is clear. Individuals with infections of chronic hepatitis are exposed to an increased risk of developing this form of cancer. Chronic infection of hepatitis B gradually damages the liver for many years, which can lead to the diagnosis of liver cancer. For example, in Asian countries in which chronic hepati infection predominatesTidou B may have a person initial infection of hepatitis B while still a child; 30 or 40 years later, after years of gradual liver damage, liver cancer may be diagnosed.
The exact process that hepatitis B causes liver cancer is not perfectly understood. Scientists have discovered genetic similarities between virus and cancer cells. Some parts of the genetic code of the virus seem to change the genetic composition of liver cells. This could be what causes liver cells to become cancer.
In other countries, the connection between hepatitis and liver cancer is slightly different. In places such as the United States and Europe, hepatitis B is not such a predominant cause of liver cancer. On the other hand, hepatitis C is more likely to lead to liver cancer of all earth.
As with hepatitis B, scientists are not yet sure why in some cases hepatitisC causes liver cancer. It does not seem to be a genetic code, as if it were with hepatitis B infection. Instead, some scientists think that a protein that is part of hepatitis C may disrupt the expected cell death levels and cause abnormal cell life and reproduction. The scarring also plays a role in conjunction between this type of hepatitis and liver cancer. A person with this form of chronic hepatitis can develop cancer for about 10 years after his liver begins to suffer from scarring.