Risk Factors and Molecular Genomics of U.S. Patients With Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Cancer

Inclusion Criteria:

   - For both experimental subjects and controls:

      1. Patients between older than 18 years of age of all ethnic backgrounds and
      genders.

      2. Patients with chronic liver disease

   - For Experimental Subjects Only:

      1. Patients with HCC with a hepatic mass larger or equal to 5cm

      2. Patients with HCC with a hepatic mass lesion confirmed by fine needle aspirate
      (FNA) or by pathology in the cases of surgical resection

      3. Patients with HCC with a hepatic mass lesion with characteristic CT or MRI or
      angiographic appearance.

   - For Controls Only:

Patients with chronic liver disease without evidence of HCC confirmed by either :

1. A normal AFP level

2. a negative imaging study (ultrasound, CT, or MR imaging).

3. Negative liver cancer on explants.

*Exclusion Criteria:

   1. Patients who declined to participate in the study

   2. Patients with a history of HIV infection

   3. Patients with concurrent advanced malignancy of non-hepatic origin.

   4. Patients with significant use of androgenic steroid.

   5. Patients with exposure to vinyl chloride.