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

For Experimental Subjects Only:

Patients with HCC

For Controls Only:

Patients with chronic liver disease without evidence of HCC

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 either: (i) a hepatic mass larger or equal to 5cm, or; (ii) a hepatic mass lesion confirmed by fine needle aspirate (FNA) or by pathology in the cases of surgical resection, or; (iii) 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.