Diagnosis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
The diagnosis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have witnessed major changes over the past decade. Until the early 1990s, HCC was a relatively rare malignancy, typically diagnosed at an advanced stage in a symptomatic patient, and there were no known effective palliative or therapeutic options. However, the rising incidence of HCC in several regions around the world coupled with emerging evidence for efficacy of screening in high-risk patients, liver transplantation as a curative option in select patients, ability to make definitive diagnosis using high-resolution imaging of the liver, less dependency on obtaining tissue diagnosis, and proven efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization and sorafenib as palliative therapy have improved the outlook for HCC patients. In this article, we present a summary of the most recent information on screening, diagnosis, staging, and different treatment modalities of HCC, as well as our recommended management approach.
El-Serag
Hashem B
HB
Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. hasheme@bcm.tmc.edu
Marrero
Jorge A
JA
Rudolph
Lenhard
L
Reddy
K Rajender
KR
D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging