Serum insulin‐like growth factor I evaluation as a useful tool for predicting the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatitis C virus‐related cirrhosis

Abstract

This prospective study demonstrates that, in patients with HCV-related cirrhosis, 1) the development of HCC is accompanied by a significant reduction of serum IGF-I levels independent of the grade of impairment of liver function; and 2) modification of the IGF-I level precedes the morphologic appearance of HCC, permitting a precocious diagnosis of the tumor.