Commentary
The authors investigated the association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and gastrointestinal tract cancer in the general population. Retrospective data on individuals aged ≥20 years who received healthcare checkups from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009 were analyzed using the National Health Insurance Database in Korea. NAFLD was defined based on the fatty liver index (FLI ≥60).
The primary outcome was newly diagnosed esophageal, stomach, or colorectal cancer using ICD-10 codes during follow-up until 31 December 2017. The results show that NAFLD defined using FLI was a good predictive indicator for GI tract malignancy and all-cause mortality in the general population. The authors suggest that subjects with NAFLD are needed for active surveillance of esophageal, stomach, and colorectal cancers.
