Authors: Ngatali C.F.S, Boumba A.L.M, Ebatetou A, Moukassa D, Nkoua Mbon J.B, Ibara J-R.
The proportion of cancers of viral origin can reach 75% of cancers in some countries. The purpose of this work was to take stock of the current epidemiology, carcinogenesis of oncogenic viruses and liver cancer caused by viruses in Africa. Liver cancer is expected to be the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the world in 2018, with approximately 841,000 new cases and 782,000 deaths annually. Incidence and mortality rates are two to three times higher for men in most parts of the world; for example, liver cancer ranks fifth in terms of new cases and second in terms of deaths among men. The age-standardized incidence rate is higher for men than for women in North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, South Africa and East Africa. The cumulative incidence and cumulative mortality are higher in North Africa and also higher for men than for women. There are disparities in the incidence of virus-induced liver cancer in different parts of Africa.
The resurgence of infectious diseases on the African continent plays a major role in increasing the frequency of cancers. While in developed countries the causes of cancer occurrence are mainly related to non-infectious factors, infectious cancers are becoming a dramatic feature in Africa. The hepatitis B virus is the main cause of liver cancer due to a virus in Africa (southern sub-Saharan Africa, western sub-Saharan Africa); on the other hand, the hepatitis C virus is the leading cause of liver cancer due to a virus in North Africa and the Middle East. On the continent, health problems predominate, owing to the weakness of health policy, particularly in preventive medicine, but also limited technical facilities, lack of personnel and insufficient political commitment. Knowledge of the epidemiology and mechanism of carcinogenesis allows prevention whose understanding is essential to reverse current trends and eventually establish a control of liver cancer induced by viruses.
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