Assessment of von willebrand factor in hepatitis c patients as biomarker for liver fibrosis and predictor of HCC

Abstract

HCV infection is a leading cause of liver cirrhosis and hence the development of HCC. Egypt has the highest HCV prevalence worldwide; with estimated rate of 10% of Egyptians between 15-59 years as reported by the Egyptian Health Issues Survey (EHIS) in 2015. Hepatocellular carcinoma is the fifth most common tumor worldwide and the second most common cause of cancer-related death with a male-to-female predominance greater than 2:1. The presence of cirrhosis represents a key risk factor for the development of HCC. The prevalence of cirrhosis among patients with HCC has been estimated to be 85%-95% and the HCC incidence rate among patients with cirrhosis has been shown to be 2%-4% per year.