Clinical patterns of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): a multicenter prospective study

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignant tumor of the liver and the fifth most common cancer, ranking third in overall mortality between the various malignancies (1,2). Currently, it is assumed that the incidence of HCC is increasing not only because of the epidemic of hepatitis C, but also is related to the increase in obesity, diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), especially in developed countries (3).