Circulating microRNA’s as a diagnostic tool for hepatocellular carcinoma in a hyper endemic HIV setting, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: A case control study protocol focusing on viral etiology

A wide range of studies has investigated the diagnostic proficiency of extracellular microRNAs (miRNAs) in hepatocellular cancer (HCC). HCC is expected to increase in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), due to endemic levels of viral infection (HBV/HIV), ageing and changing lifestyles.