Pharmacotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the more common causes of cancer death worldwide. It occurs on a background of chronic liver disease or viral hepatitis in the vast majority of cases, with hepatitis C being mostly responsible for its continuing rise in western countries. With the screening of at-risk groups, up to 70% of HCC lesions will be detected at a treatable stage but at best, only 20-30% will benefit from potentially curative hepatic resection or transplantation. How best to treat the remaining nonsurgical patients is an area of much debate and no ideal treatment is yet available. This review summarises some of the therapeutic modalities used for HCC, with an emphasis on pharmacological therapies.
Perry
John F
JF
AW Morrow Gastroenterology and Liver Centre, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Missenden Rd, Camperdown 2050, Australia.
Strasser
Simone I
SI
George
Jacob
J
Farrell
Geoffrey C
GC
McCaughan
Geoffrey W
GW
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D006801:Humans; D007269:Injections, Intra-Arterial; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents