Aflatoxin is one of the most carcinogenic chemicals known and was classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Agency for Research on Cancer in 1993. Aflatoxin may mutate codon 249 of the TP53 tumour suppressor gene, a mutation rarely observed in cancers other than hepatocellular carcinoma, so it is strongly associated with the development of liver cancer.
In addition, aflatoxin synergises with hepatitis B virus infection, thereby increasing the risk of liver cancer. Recent studies have shown that the presence of aflatoxin in the diet may also increase the risk of gallbladder cancer.