Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma: new insights on presentation and natural history

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most rapidly increasing cause of cancer-related mortality in many countries including the United States (1). In 2012, primary liver cancer was estimated to be the overall second cause of cancer related death in the world (2). These alarming reports stress the desperate need for better understanding of the risk and prognostic factors as well as the screening and treatment methods of HCC.