Article
Hepatocellular carcinoma is rarely present in Western Mexico
Fecha
1999Autor
Vivas-Arceo, C.
Bastidas-Ramirez, B.E.
Panduro-Cerda, Arturo
Institución
Resumen
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considered uncommon in most countries of Latin-America. The aim of this study was to analyze the frequency of HCC in Western Mexico and to evaluate the use of molecular markers - albumin and AFP mRNA in peripheral blood cells - in its diagnosis. The frequency of HCC was determined in new patients with possible diagnosis of cancer, from a reference hospital from 1996 to 1998. Albumin and AFP mRNA were determined by RT-PCR. Twenty five patients with HCC were identified with an incidence of 2.5 cases per 1000 new patients with cancer per year and general incidence of 0.22 per 100 000 per year. Albumin mRNA was positive in peripheral blood cells of patients with HCC, chronic liver disease and healthy control individuals, whereas AFP mRNA was positive in HCC and embrionary carcinoma patients. However, the simultaneous detection of albumin and AFP mRNA was only present in HCC patients. The HCC incidence is extremely rare in Western Mexico and both molecular markers were detected only in these patients.