Liver cancer, specifically hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is among the top 5 causes of cancer death worldwide.

According to some estimates by international agencies, this cancer considerably affects Guatemala, a country which has one of the highest incidence rates in the Western Hemisphere, as we will describe later.

The reasons behind this high incidence, although not fully understood, are presumed to be due in large part to the high prevalence of multiple risk factors, including metabolic diseases and exposure to toxins produced by fungi (eg, aflatoxins) consumed in food. Various risk factors for HCC are described in the sections of this document.

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