Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and hepatitis C... : Cancer Causes & Control (original) (raw)

RESEARCH ARTICLE: PDF Only

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and hepatitis C and B virus infection, alcohol intake, and hepatolithiasis

a case–control study in Italy

Cancer Causes & Control

12

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10

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959

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964

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December 2001

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Objective

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a rare type of primary liver cancer (PLC) arising from intrahepatic bile ducts. We carried out a case–control study to assess the association between ICC and hepatitis B and C virus (HBV and HCV) infections, alcohol intake, and hepatolithiasis in Brescia, North Italy.

Methods

Among 370 subjects with histology-based diagnosis of PLC who were resident in the area and hospitalized in 1995–2000, 26 (7%) ICC cases were identified. A total of 824 subjects unaffected by hepatic diseases and frequency-matched with PLC cases by age, sex, date, and hospital of admission were recruited as controls.

Results

Among ICC cases the mean age was 65 years, 80.8% were males, and 38.5% had cirrhosis. Seropositivity for anti-HCV, HBsAg, alcohol intake > 80 g/day and history of hepatolithiasis were found in 25%, 13%, 23.1%, and 26.9% of ICC cases and in 5.8%, 6.7%, 32.9%, and 10.6% of controls, respectively. The odds ratios adjusted for demographic factors by logistic regression (95% confidence interval; 95% CI) were 9.7 (1.6–58.9) for anti-HCV, 2.7 (0.4–18.4) for HBsAg, and 6.7 (1.3–33.4) for hepatolithiasis, whereas no association was found with alcohol drinking.

Conclusions

HCV and hepatolithiasis may be risk factors for ICC in Western countries.