Incidence and etiology of primary liver cancer in the Pacific Basin.

The incidence of PLC in the Pacific Basin varies from 0.9/100,000 (age-standardized) in women in New South Wales, Australia, to 34.2/100,000 in Singapore Chinese men. Proportional incidence data suggest that other areas of the Pacific Basin, such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, may have PLC incidence rates as high or higher than those in Singapore Chinese. Infection with hepatitis-B virus has been associated with PLC in some areas, and aflatoxin contamination of food has also been demonstrated. The extent to which these or other factors explain the geographical variation in liver cancer rates in the Pacific Basin is uncertain.