title: Surveillance and diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis.
abstract: Early identification of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is more frequent because of surveillance programs for HCC worldwide. The optimal strategy of surveillance in cirrhosis is a current topical issue. In terms of diagnosis, recent advances in non-invasive imaging technology, including various techniques of harmonic ultrasound, new ultrasound contrast agents, multi-slice helical computed tomography and rapid high quality magnetic resonance, have all improved the accuracy of diagnosis. Consequently the role of liver biopsy in diagnosis of HCC has declined. The imaging diagnosis relies on the hallmark of arterial hypervascularity with portal venous washout. However, with recent advances in genomics and proteomics a great number of potential serum and tissue markers have been identified and are being developed as new candidate markers for both diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma, and may increase the need for liver biopsy.
authors.affiliation: Lorenzo Andreana, Graziella Isgrò, Maria Pleguezuelo, Giacomo Germani, Andrew K Burroughs, The Royal Free Sheila Sherlock Liver Center, Departement of Surgery, Royal Free Hospital, London, NW3 2QG, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Andreana
authors.forename: Graziella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Isgrò
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pleguezuelo
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Germani
authors.forename: Andrew K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Burroughs