Liver Cancer Research in the Metabolic Epidemiology Branch

Liver cancer is the sixth most commonly occurring cancer in the world and due to a very poor prognosis, the third largest contributor to cancer mortality. Liver cancer is composed of two major histologic types: hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, ~70%) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC, ~15%). The incidence of both types increased in many countries in the past several decades. MEB investigators conduct research on a variety of factors in relationship to liver cancer including:

• Metabolic conditions (e.g., obesity, diabetes, metabolomic syndrome, NAFLD)
• Exogenous and endogenous hormonal exposures
• Diet
• Coffee
• Cigarette smoking
• Alcohol Consumption
• Medications
• Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus (HBV/HCV)
• Aflatoxin (AFB1)
• Metabolomics (including lipidomics, bile acids, and fatty acids)
• Microbiome (including circulating markers of bacterial translocation)

MEB investigators are conducting liver cancer studies using the following resources:

• Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cohort Study in Finland
• Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-term Treatment against Cirrhosis trial (HALT-C)
• NIH-AARP Diet and Health Cohort Study
• Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, Ovarian Screening Trial
• National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
• U.K. Clinical Practice Research Datalink
• U.K. Biobank
• Globocan
• Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program Cancer Registries
• North American Association of Central Cancer Registries
• Cancer Incidence in Five Continents

Learn about the Liver Cancer Pooling Project (LCPP), a collaboration of prospective cohort studies that seeks to understand the factors behind the rising incidence of HCC and ICC in the U.S.

For more information, contact Katherine McGlynn.