Abstract
One of the most dreaded outcomes of chronic liver illness is hepatocellular
carcinoma (HCC), and it is the most prevalent primary liver cancer. The gut-liver axis
has been shown to play a key role in the emergence of chronic liver disorders,
including HCC, in recent experimental and clinical studies. The altered gut microbiota
is becoming well recognised as an important factor in the progression of chronic liver
disorders, such as HCC. Probiotics administration has been proposed as a new, safe and
cost-effective strategy for preventing or treating HCC. Probiotics' ability to bind
carcinogens, regulation of gut microbiota, improvement of intestinal barrier integrity,
and immunomodulation are the mechanisms by which they exert anticancer benefits.
This chapter discusses the alterations in gut microbiota linked to HCC and the
implications of probiotics and prebiotics for anticancer mechanisms towards HCC.