What is the function of the liver in the body? What is primary liver cancer? The liver is the largest substantial organ in the body and the main organ of material metabolism in the human body, with the functions of synthesis, secretion, excretion, biotransformation and barrier, which can be said to be the chemical factory in the human body. Liver cells also have a strong regenerative capacity. There are two main types of liver cells in human body, hepatocytes and intrahepatic bile duct cells. Primary liver cancer evolves from these two types of cells, including hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma and mixed liver cancer. The majority of primary liver cancer in China is hepatocellular carcinoma, which is commonly referred to as hepatocellular carcinoma. Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in China account for more than 50% of liver cancer patients worldwide. What are the risk factors of primary liver cancer? The primary risk factor for the development of primary liver cancer is hepatitis. According to statistics, 50% of liver cancers worldwide are related to hepatitis B and 25% are related to hepatitis C. About 2.1%-6.0% of chronic hepatitis B patients progress to cirrhosis each year, and an average of 1-15% of hepatitis B cirrhosis patients will develop liver cancer each year, and the proportion of chronic hepatitis C is 50-70%, of which 10-20% can The proportion of chronic hepatitis C is 50-70%, of which 10-20% can develop into liver cirrhosis, and after cirrhosis, about 1-8% progress to liver cancer every year. In China, primary liver cancer is mainly related to hepatitis B. Besides hepatitis, other risk factors for liver cancer include non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholism, intake of aflatoxin-contaminated food, exposure to toxic substances, primary biliary cirrhosis, autoimmune hepatitis, hereditary hemochromatosis, hepatic microvascular occlusive disease, Wilson’s disease, parasitic infection, Helicobacter pylori, etc. Those people are prone to get liver cancer? In China, the most likely to get liver cancer are hepatitis B patients. Epidemiological surveys show that areas where hepatitis B is prevalent are often also areas with high incidence of liver cancer, and people who have had hepatitis B have more chances to get liver cancer than those who have not, and this risk is as much as 10.7 times, and the risk of chronic carriers can be as much as 100 times. Middle-aged and older men with hepatitis B who are older than 40 years of age are more likely to develop liver cancer. This is due to the fact that the effect of carcinogenic factors requires an accumulation process that may last for decades, and there is no definite explanation why men are more prone to liver cancer. However, there are many medical experts who believe that estrogen in women’s body has a certain antagonistic effect on certain liver cancer-causing factors, and some believe that it is related to the different living habits of men and women. Environmental factors also play a big role. People who live in remote areas, contaminated drinking water sources, long-term consumption of moldy food, food containing nitrite and lack of selenium as a trace element in food are more likely to develop liver cancer. People who drink heavily have a high incidence of alcoholic cirrhosis, and the relationship between cirrhosis and liver cancer is very deep, so these people are also prone to get liver cancer. Does viral hepatitis necessarily lead to liver cancer? Generally speaking, hepatitis A and E are transmitted by fecal-oral route and are acute hepatitis, which will not develop into chronic and will not cause cirrhosis. Hepatitis B and C, on the other hand, can become chronic and may evolve into cirrhosis or even liver cancer. However, only a fraction of patients with hepatitis B and C will eventually transform into liver cancer. Therefore, after having hepatitis, the progression of liver tissue fibrosis and cirrhosis can be slowed down and liver cancer can be prevented by active standardized treatment.