What Are the Known Causes of Liver Cancer?

Liver cancer is less common in the United States than in other parts of the world, where its infectious and environmental causes are more prevalent. People may have primary liver cancer, which begins in the liver and is caused by direct damage to the organ, or secondary liver cancer, which metastasizes from other organs in the body. Consider a number of important facts from the Centers for Disease Control and the Mayo Clinic about the causes of liver cancer.

Hepatitis B

• According to the Centers for Disease Control, infection with the hepatitis B virus is the most common cause of liver cancer across the world.

Hepatitis C

• The hepatitis C virus can cause chronic hepatitis, which may lead to liver cancer, and is spread through exposure to blood.

Alcohol

• Over a long period of time, drinking heavy amounts of alcohol can damage the cells of the liver and cause scarring, which leads to cancer.

Aflatoxin

• Aflatoxin is a poison produced by fungi in foods such as grains, nuts and legumes, and can cause liver cancer.

Smoking

• Smoking tobacco exposes the body to toxic chemicals that can cause damage to the liver and other organs, leading to primary or secondary liver cancer.

Cirrhosis

• Cirrhosis is a medical term for scarring of the liver, which can be caused by infections, poisoning or chemical damage, and may lead to liver cancer.

Metastasis

• Metastasis, or spread of other cancers in the body, can cause cancer of the liver and the ducts that attach the liver to other organs.