DIAGNOSTIC VALUE OF SERUM LEPTIN AS A TUMOR MARKER IN HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA

Abstract

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) constitutes one of the most common forms of cancer worldwide, and it holds 3rd place in malignancy related mortality. Eighty percent of liver cancers occur on top of liver cirrhosis. The major risk for cirrhosis is chronic hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, non alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), alcohol abuse. Less common causes include primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, Hemo-chromatosis, Wilson disease and autoimmune hepatitis. HCC screening for early HCC diagnosis is the target to allow early intervention with curative treatment recommendations for Child-Pugh stage A and B patients are used by abdominal ultrasound every six months. AFP or other tumour biomarkers (AFP, AFP-L3 and DCP) are not recommended due to less accuracy for early detection of HCC. Stage C cirrhosis is excluded from screening except for transplant candidates.