The largest State-wide epidemiological study on Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) or liver cancer, done across 15 major hospitals in Kerala, has reported cirrhosis caused by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to be the predominant aetiology of liver cancer in Kerala.
The study, which analysed the data of 1,217 patients with HCC from across Kerala between May 2018 to April 2020, reported cirrhosis associated with NAFLD to be the direct cause in 44% patients, followed closely by alcohol abuse, in 40% cases.
Hepatitis B virus was the cause in 7% cases and Hepatitis C virus, in 4% cases of HCC.