Biomaterial Database

Liver cancer in an endemic area of schistosomiasis japonica in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. 1987

Y Inaba

Department of Hygiene, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

In Yamanashi Prefecture, schistosomiasis japonica has been endemic since the 16th century. Control of the disease has been very successful and no new case has been reported since 1977. Research has been conducted on the relationship between schistosomiasis and liver cancer, but no definite conclusion has been reached. We carried out several studies on this subject from the viewpoint of epidemiology. A descriptive study showed a higher mortality rate for liver cancer in the endemic area of schistosomiasis than in the country as a whole, but not much difference from the mortality rate in the non-endemic area. A case-control study showed a high odds-ratio for cases with a history of schistosomiasis; however, the value is almost the same as for cases which had hepatitis B (HB) antigen. This study suggested a multiplicative effect of HB antigen, history of schistosomiasis and history of alcohol intake. A retrospective cohort study showed a significantly high mortality rate for liver cancer in male inhabitants of the endemic area. These results confirm that schistosomiasis was closely related to liver cancer. However, the follow-up study of liver cirrhosis showed no difference in the survival curve and death rate from liver cancer between schistosoma positive cases and negative cases. A cross-sectional study of the prevalence of HB virus showed a higher rate in inhabitants with a history of schistosomiasis than those without such a history. Although the above two studies were carried out in small samples, it is considered now that schistosomiasis is one of the co-factors of liver cancer and indirectly associated with it.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007564	Japan	A country in eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula. The capital is Tokyo.	Bonin Islands
D008103	Liver Cirrhosis	Liver disease in which the normal microcirculation, the gross vascular anatomy, and the hepatic architecture have been variably destroyed and altered with fibrous septa surrounding regenerated or regenerating parenchymal nodules.	Cirrhosis, Liver,Fibrosis, Liver,Hepatic Cirrhosis,Liver Fibrosis,Cirrhosis, Hepatic
D008113	Liver Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the LIVER.	Cancer of Liver,Hepatic Cancer,Liver Cancer,Cancer of the Liver,Cancer, Hepatocellular,Hepatic Neoplasms,Hepatocellular Cancer,Neoplasms, Hepatic,Neoplasms, Liver,Cancer, Hepatic,Cancer, Liver,Cancers, Hepatic,Cancers, Hepatocellular,Cancers, Liver,Hepatic Cancers,Hepatic Neoplasm,Hepatocellular Cancers,Liver Cancers,Liver Neoplasm,Neoplasm, Hepatic,Neoplasm, Liver
D003710	Demography	Statistical interpretation and description of a population with reference to distribution, composition, or structure.	Demographer,Demographic,Demographic and Health Survey,Population Distribution,Accounting, Demographic,Analyses, Demographic,Analyses, Multiregional,Analysis, Period,Brass Technic,Brass Technique,Demographers,Demographic Accounting,Demographic Analysis,Demographic Factor,Demographic Factors,Demographic Impact,Demographic Impacts,Demographic Survey,Demographic Surveys,Demographic and Health Surveys,Demographics,Demography, Historical,Demography, Prehistoric,Factor, Demographic,Factors, Demographic,Family Reconstitution,Historical Demography,Impact, Demographic,Impacts, Demographic,Multiregional Analysis,Period Analysis,Population Spatial Distribution,Prehistoric Demography,Reverse Survival Method,Stable Population Method,Survey, Demographic,Surveys, Demographic,Analyses, Period,Analysis, Demographic,Analysis, Multiregional,Demographic Analyses,Demographies, Historical,Demographies, Prehistoric,Distribution, Population,Distribution, Population Spatial,Distributions, Population,Distributions, Population Spatial,Family Reconstitutions,Historical Demographies,Method, Reverse Survival,Method, Stable Population,Methods, Reverse Survival,Methods, Stable Population,Multiregional Analyses,Period Analyses,Population Distributions,Population Methods, Stable,Population Spatial Distributions,Prehistoric Demographies,Reconstitution, Family,Reconstitutions, Family,Reverse Survival Methods,Spatial Distribution, Population,Spatial Distributions, Population,Stable Population Methods,Technic, Brass,Technique, Brass
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012554	Schistosomiasis japonica	Schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma japonicum. It is endemic in the ASIA, EASTERN and affects the bowel, liver, and spleen.	Schistosoma japonicum Infection,Schistosomiasis japonicum,Infection, Schistosoma japonicum,Infections, Schistosoma japonicum,Schistosoma japonicum Infections