title: Non-surgical treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: Primary hepatocellular cancer is a disease with a poor prognosis for which there is little consensus on treatment and a paucity of comparative trials. The coexistence of cancer with cirrhosis complicates treatment, and also confers a high risk for the development of further tumours. Surgery, either by hepatic resection or orthotopic liver transplantation, is only a feasible option in a minority of patients. This article surveys the non-surgical approaches to the treatment of hepatocellular cancers-local ablation techniques, arterial embolization with and without chemotherapy, conventional chemotherapy and hormonal modulation, and targeted and external irradiation.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Hepatology, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London, UK.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Alsowmely
authors.forename: H J F
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Hodgson
mesh_terms: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001918:Brachytherapy; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000628:therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D016031:Liver Transplantation
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal