Tyrosinemia type I treated by NTBC: how does AFP predict liver cancer?

BACKGROUND: Tyrosinemia type I is associated with an increased risk of liver cancer development. The formation of the pathogenic fumarylacetoacetate is prevented by 2-(2-nitro-4-3 trifluoro-methylbenzoyl)-1,3-cyclohexanedione (NTBC). Still, some patients with NTBC treatment develop liver cancer. A rise of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is an indicator of liver cancer.

AIM: To study the predictive value of AFP in tyrosinemia type I patients for the discrimination between patients at high and low risk of liver cancer development.

METHODS: We examined the course of AFP values of 11 Dutch patients with tyrosinemia type I treated by NTBC, of whom four were diagnosed with liver cancer.

RESULTS: The four patients with liver cancer had a course of AFP different from the other patients in either velocity of the decrease of AFP, achieving normal AFP and/or having a rise of AFP concentrations.

CONCLUSION: Apart from a rise of AFP, a slow AFP decrease, and never normalizing levels of AFP are important predictors of liver cancer development in further life.