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Topic: Natural Products and Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Coffee, Traditional Chinese Medicine and cannabinoids as

potential tools for prevention and treatment of hepatocellular

carcinoma

1
Stefano Gitto , Ranka Vukotic , Pietro Andreone 2
2
1 Department of Gastroenterology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria and University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena,
Italy.
2 Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna and Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Policlinico
Sant’Orsola Malpighi, 40138 Bologna, Italy.

ABSTRACT
In the last decade, the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is growing in both Europe and United States. Conventional
therapies such as liver resection, transplantation, ablation, chemoembolization and sorafenib are not enough to avoid a
significant mortality. Many studies suggested the positive effect of caffeine for prevention of HCC. Nevertheless, the amount
of therapeutic caffeine and the high-dose safety are unknown. Many authors proposed Traditional Chinese Medicine as
preventive and/or curative approach. Although it reveals limits such as the uncertain safety profile and the lack of evidence
about a unique product, it shows interesting results in terms of survival and quality of life if given in combination with standard
loco-regional therapy. Among the future promises, cannabinoids show interesting background mechanisms of blocking cell
proliferation and neoangiogenesis. It is conceivable that in the next years, some natural products may have a role in improving
the standards of care of HCC.

Key words: Hepatocellular carcinoma; caffeine; Traditional Chinese Medicine; cannabinoids

Address for correspondence:
Prof. Pietro Andreone, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna and Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna,
Policlinico Sant’Orsola Malpighi, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy. E-mail: pietro.andreone@unibo.it.

Professor Pietro Andreone is the Director of the Program for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Viral
Hepatitis at the University Hospital of Bologna, Italy. He has been the principal investigator in over 100
clinical studies in the field of innovative therapies for chronic hepatitis and has published 197 peer reviewed
publications with a h-index of 42.

Received: 09-11-2015, Accepted: 19-01-2016

INTRODUCTION accounting for more than 90% of cases of liver tumors. In the
last decades, the HCC incidence and HCC-related mortality
Liver neoplasm represents the sixth most common cancer are increasing in both United States and Northern Europe.
[2]
and the third cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Cirrhosis due to chronic hepatitis B and C, is the major
[1]
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the main liver cancer, risk factor for the HCC development. However, also other
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How to cite this article: Gitto S, Vukotic R, Andreone P. Coffee,
DOI: Traditional Chinese Medicine and cannabinoids as potential tools for
10.20517/2394-5079.2015.63 prevention and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatoma Res
2016;2:71-7.

© 2016 Hepatoma Research | Published by OAE Publishing Inc. 71