The LEC Rat: A New Model for Hepatitis and Liver Cancer

This work on liver cancer, one of the most common and increasing malignancies, which often occurs in association with hepatitis, considers the possible aetiological roles of hepatitis in the development of liver cancer by studying the characteristics of an animal model (the LEC rat). The LEC rat is a new mutant strain which suffers from hepatitis and liver cancer in extremely high incidence. The characteristics of hepatitis, preneoplastic stages and liver cancer of the LEC rat are all discussed from the viewpoints of biochemistry, immunology, genetics, oncology and pathology.