Excess growth hormone can cause liver cancer

In an important discovery, Austrian scientists have concluded that the overproduction of growth hormone can be a cause liver cancer.

The study was conducted at Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cancer Research. The study shows that overproduction of growth hormone, led by hormonal or metabolic disorders, hastens the development of tumour diseases and caused liver cancer, a Xinhua report says.

However it is very hard to detect the growth hormone, the scientists have said that

It is worth noting that liver cancer is the fifth most common form of cancer and it is ranked third in the world when it comes to the most common cause of tumour-linked deaths. This discovery offers a fresh perspective as viral infections such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and excessive alcohol consumption are considered the prime causes of liver cancer till now.

This study was focused on to comprehend the mechanism of a signaling molecule, known as STAT 5, in causing liver cancer due to the overproduction of growth hormone.

As part of the study experiments were carried out on mice. The scientists showed that this signaling pathway protects the liver in a healthy condition and can control metabolic processes essentially.

The overproduction can also lead to kidney diseases and organ failure, the study says.

--with inputs from IANS