What causes Hepatocellular carcinoma, childhood ?
What causes hepatocellular carcinoma, childhood? A review of the literature suggests that knowledge regarding the cause of hepatocellular carcinoma in children is lacking due to the rarity of this disease.  Children living in regions of the world where heptatitis B virus is common have been reported to have a much greater risk of developing this disease.  Chronic infection by hepatitis C virus has also been linked to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatocellular carcinoma has also been reported to develop in the presence of liver disease, cirrhosis, and inborn errors of metabolism. In addition, various other reported risk factors for developing hepatocellular carcinoma include: male sex, co-infection with other viral liver disease, co-infection with HIV, alcohol abuse, family history of this carcinoma, increased hepatic iron, increased serum alanine aminotransferase levels, exposure to aflatoxin B1 by food contamination, genetic variants of glutathione S-transferase, and various metabolic liver disorders. Chronic Epstein Barr virus infections have also been suggested to play a role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in Asian patients. This association remains to be confirmed in other populations.