Context

Ninety per cent of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) arise from chronic liver disease. Most cases occur in sub-Saharan Africa and Far East Asia, where chronic hepatitis B and C virus infections (HBV and HCV) are the most important risk factors. Excessive alcohol consumption and increasing obesity mean that in the developed world, HCC is also rising steadily.1 In many countries the prognosis for patients with HCC is poor, with 5-year survival rates of less than 5%. In sub-Saharan Africa, the outlook is dismal owing to late …