Liver Cancer Prevention & Risk Factors

What are the main causes of primary liver cancer? Scarring of the liver (cirrhosis) caused by too much alcohol use or infection with hepatitis B or C infection are largely to blame.

Up to 80 percent of primary liver cancers around the world are caused by infection with the hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus. Infection with this virus can affect you for many years and result in cirrhosis (scarring) in your liver. People get infected through physical contact with the blood or bodily fluids of a person who has the virus in their body.

You can get infected with the hepatitis B or C virus through:

• unprotected sex
• sharing unsterilized needles
• a blood transfusion, if received before 1992 (after that year, donated blood has been screened for the virus)

Other Risk Factors for Liver Cancer
In addition to infection with chronic hepatitis B and C, the following conditions increase the risk of developing liver cancer.

• Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
• Cirrhosis of the liver made worse by alcohol use
• Hemochromatosis
• Exposure to arsenic
• Ingestion of aflatoxin: Aflatoxin is generated by certain types of mold in improperly stored grains and nuts.