* Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) used to be regarded as a rare disease. However, the increasing numbers of chronic HCC carriers in the U.S. and subsequent increased incidences of HCC seen in most large medical centers means that it is no longer an uncommon disease for gastroenterologists or oncologists to encounter and its incidence and epidemiology are changing. During this exciting time in the field of HCC basic science and clinical management, many changes are simultaneously occurring at multiple levels of our understanding and management of the disease. Suddenly, there are several new choices of therapy to offer patients. Hepatocellular Carcinoma, 3rd edition addresses this fast-changing disease and gives the reader a clearer understanding of the many mechanisms involved in carcinogenesis of the liver. This comprehensive and detailed review of how to diagnose and treat hepatocellular carcinoma is written by international leaders in the field, covering both clinical treatment choices and the basic science underlying HCC development. Updated and enhanced from the last edition in 2009, Hepatocellular Carcinoma, 3rd edition features 12 new chapters including discussion of molecular markers, molecular hepatocarcinogenesis, microenvironment, heterogeneity, the new and exciting contributions of immunotherapy, and updates on the major effective hepatitis therapies that will transform HCC incidence and perhaps also the therapy. This cutting-edge text is a vital resource and must-have for today's hepatologists and medical and surgical oncologists. "This is a well written text and should be a good reference book for those who see patients with HCC.." - Practical Gastroenterology "...a useful tool for both physicians and surgeons with a specific interest in the management of patients with HCC." - Digestive and Liver Disease

Molecular and Cell Biology of the Liver features the latest research findings regarding liver structure and function. A unique feature of the book is the brief science reviews that are included in each chapter which provide essential background information to allow readers to better grasp the subject matter within a chapter. The book covers liver biology from the molecular level to groups of liver cells and explains how groups of hepatocytes interact in similar microenvironments. Other important cell types found in the liver are also examined. Illustrations ranging from electron micrographs to fully rendered drawings act as visual aids to help readers understand complex structural-functional interactions. Molecular and Cell Biology of the Liver will benefit hepatologists, gastroenterologists, cell biologists, anatomists, toxicologists, and other researchers interested in liver structure and function.

This volume is an account of scientific discovery related to the hepatitis E virus (HEV). HEV was first identified in Afghanistan in 1982 by a remarkably courageous act of self-experimentation by a Russian scientist. Following this, it was found that, in some developing countries in Asia and Africa, HEV was the cause of enormous outbreaks of hepatitis spread by infected drinking water, with a 25% death rate in pregnant women. For many years, HEV was thought not to be an issue in high-income countries and was only seen in travellers returning from high risk areas: it was considered a "back-packers'" disease. We now know that this was hopelessly wrong as HEV is very common in developed countries, with currently over 2 million infections per year in Europe. Here, HEV is found in pigs and spread mainly via consumption of contaminated pork meat. There has been a major increase in cases of HEV in many developed countries, including patients who have suffered liver failure, some of whom have died. We now know that HEV can also cause severe damage to the nervous system.This book describes an English doctor's contribution to the discovery of the impact of HEV in humans. Recent cases in the UK appear to have originated from pigs in Continental Europe and HEV was, as a consequence, dubbed by the international press as the `Brexit Virus'; perhaps an early leaving present from our friends in the EU. Accessible to lay readers, the text includes case histories and stories from a health service increasingly under pressure and given context by examples of medical discoveries from the past. The role of the meat production industry, including questionable on-going high-risk virological practices, is put under the spotlight, leading to inevitable comparisons with the BSE crisis of the 1980s. HEV continues to exact a heavy toll in some low-income countries, most notably with multiple large outbreaks in African refugee camps. Despite the best efforts of organisations such as Medecins Sans Frontieres, each year, pregnant women continue to die by the score. This is particularly poignant as these deaths may be avoidable, as there is a safe and effective vaccine. However, the HEV vaccine is only licensed for use in China, and, so far, efforts to introduce it to Africa have hit a brick wall of politics and red tape.