These data indicate that the prevalence of the main mutation associated with hereditary hemochromatosis is significantly higher in cirrhotic Italian patients with hepatocellular carcinoma compared to a normal population and suggest that heterozygotes for HFE mutations exposed to hepatitis virus infections or who had been alcohol abusers could have an increased risk of developing cirrhosis and later liver cancer than people without the mutations exposed to the same risk factors.
To determine the risk of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer in individuals with HFE mutations in a population where few people were being treated for haemochromatosis.