Project Materials

ANALYSIS THE ALPHA-PROTEIN LEVEL IN HEPATITIS PATIENT AS AN AID IN ACCESSING THE DEGREE IN WHICH IT GENERATES TO HCC

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

The most prevalent type of primary liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). According to Melissa (2004), it is responsible for 60% of all cancer cases worldwide.

The existence of cirrhosis is the most important factor. HCC has a distinct age and sex distribution that is probably influenced by a particular actiology component. Within the same nation, its distribution differs among ethnic groups as well (Munoz 1989).

In south-eastern Nigeria, a high prevalence of hepatitis B and C may have had a significant role in the development of liver disease, including cirrhosis and HCC.

However, a recent trend showing a rise in hepatitis and liver cirrhosis cases in our environment raises the possibility that there are more environmental factors besides hepatitis B and C that could be responsible for the recent development.

Investigating the many risk factors and causes of chronic hepatitis would be required in order to prevent the spread of liver cirrhosis and HCC in our society. The cause of cirrhosis affects the likelihood of developing HCC.

For instance, hepatitis B-induced cirrhosis has a high chance of developing into HCC, whereas those with primary biliary cirrhosis, even if they have it, have a very low risk of developing HCC. With the exception of the hepatitis B virus, which is a DNA virus, all of these human hepatitis viruses are RNA viruses.

All forms of viral hepatitis cause clinically identical diseases, despite the fact that these viruses can be differentiated based on their molecular and antigenic characteristics.

These range from subclinical persistent infections to rapidly progressive liver disease with cirrhosis and even hepatocullular carcinoma (HCC), which are common to the blood-borne types (HCV and HBV), to asymptomatic and undetectable to fulminant and fatal acute infections that are common to all types.

It is impossible to identify which hepatitis virus is causing a case of hepatitis without a particular virological test. (Park, Kathleen, and others, 2004).