CONTEXT

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of primary malignant liver tumor. Like other cancers, it arises when mutations occur in a cell’s genes, causing it to multiply uncontrollably. These mutations can be triggered by external factors, such as the hepatitis virus, or by excessive cell replication, such as in chronic liver regeneration seen in chronic hepatitis, which increases the risk of errors in gene duplication.

Symptoms typically do not appear in the early stages of the cancer. Later symptoms may include weight loss, pain in the upper abdomen, or yellowing of the skin (jaundice).