Open AccessCo-Medication and Nutrition in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Potentially Preventative Strategies in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Author(s) -
Alexander Kusnik,
Nicole Hunter,
Erik Rasbach,
Thomas Miethke,
Christoph Reißfelder,
Matthias Ebert,
Andreas Teufel
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
digestive diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.879
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1421-9875
pISSN - 0257-2753
DOI - 10.1159/000514277
Subject(s) - medicine , hepatocellular carcinoma , cirrhosis , incidence (geometry) , gastroenterology , liver cancer , population , environmental health , physics , optics
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide, with about 841,000 new cases and 782,000 deaths annually. Given the clearly defined population at risk, mostly patients with liver cirrhosis, prevention of HCC could be highly effective. Summary: Besides regular ultrasound surveillance, numerous publications have suggested protective effects of diverse drugs and nutrients. However, none of those preventive options has made it into clinical routine or practice guidelines. We therefore summarize the current status of preventive effects of drugs such as statins, acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), and metformin, but also dietary aspects and nutrients such as coffee, tea, and vitamin D supplementation. A successful implementation of some of these strategies may potentially lead to improved prevention of HCC development in patients with liver cirrhosis. Key Messages: Accumulating data suggest that particularly ASA, antidiabetic therapies, and statins may substantially decrease HCC incidence in patients at risk.