Serum Albumin in Relation to Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Review

The known factors that are associated with the development of HCC are chronic inflammation by hepatitis viruses B and C, alco-holism, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (such as obesity) and chronic dietary intake of hepatocarcinogens such as aflatoxin B1. They cause chronic inflammation, which can lead to cirrhosis, a precursor of HCC, which in turn is often associated with serum hypoalbuminemia. Interventions can be used at any of these stages for the prevention and possible treatment of HCC. This article reviews the normal physiology of albumin and the use of its serum levels in survival prognostication in HCC patients, as well as the known actions of albumin in normal and diseased liver, especially in the context of hepatocarcinogenesis and its relationship to the HCC biomarker alpha-fetoprotein.

Keywords: Aggressiveness, HCC, survival