J. Bruix, J.M. Barrera, X. Calvet, G. Ercilla, et al., "Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus in Spanish patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatic cirrhosis," Lancet, 2, 1004-6, 28 October 1989.
Jordi Bruix (Liver Unit, Hospital Clinic i Provincial, Barcelona, Spain): "Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a neoplasm that usually arises on a cirrhotic liver. In areas with high incidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, HCC seems to be strongly related to this virus. In low HBV incidence areas, however, the relation of HBV to HCC is not so clear. In Europe, the etiology of the underlying cirrhosis is less frequently related to HBV, and, therefore, patients are diagnosed with HCC-complicating cryptogenic or alcoholic cirrhosis. The availability of a test to determine the presence of antibodies against the so-called C virus (HCV) allowed us to investigate the possible association of this newly identified virus and the presence of HCC. ...
