Risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma in Egypt: The role of hepatitis-B viral infection and schistosomiasis

Abstract

Hepatitis-B viral (HBV) infection and schistosomiasis are among the most common causes of liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma; HCC) in Egypt. The present study investigates the effects of both infectious diseases and other demographical and environmental factors on the risk of HCC among a representative group of Egyptian patients with HCC (n = 102) and controls with no signs of hepatopathology (n = 96). Factors associated with an increased risk of HCC in Egypt were age over 60 yrs-old, farming, cigarette smoking and occupational exposure to chemicals such as pesticides. However, schistosomiasis (relative risk, RR: 5.22; 95% confidence intervals, C.I.: 2.93-9.31) and HBV infection (RR: 12...