Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

„Moderan” i „sjedeći” stil života doveli su do globalne epidemije pretilosti i metaboličkoga sindroma (MetS). Jetrena manifestacija MetS-a i pretilosti, odnosno nealkoholna masna bolest jetre (engl. non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, NAFLD) danas je najčešća kronična bolest jetre od koje boluje oko četvrtina populacije. NAFLD je klinički sindrom koji obuhvaća nekoliko stanja: jednostavnu steatozu, nealkoholni steatohepatitis, fibrozu i cirozu jetre te hepatocelularni karcinom (HCC). Posljednjih desetak godina bilježi se porast incidencije HCC-a, što se velikim dijelom pripisuje porastu incidencije MetS-a, a time i NAFLD-a. U narednim godinama NAFLD će postati vodeći etiološki čimbenik za razvoj HCC-a, a time i vodeća indikacija za liječenje transplantacijom jetre.The modern sedentary lifestyle has led to a global epidemic of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), as a hepatic manifestation of MetS and obesity, is the most common chronic liver disease today, affecting about a quarter of the population. NAFLD is a clinical syndrome that includes several conditions: simple steatosis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The last ten years have seen an increase in the incidence of HCC, which is largely attributed to the increase in the incidence of MetS and, as a result, of NAFLD. In the coming years, NAFLD will become the leading etiological factor for the development of HCC, and thus a leading indication for liver transplantation