title: Saudi guidelines for the diagnosis and management of hepatocellular carcinoma: technical review and practice guidelines.
abstract: Recognizing the significant prevalence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Saudi Arabia, and the difficulties often faced in early and accurate diagnoses, evidence-based management, and the need for appropriate referral of HCC patients, the Saudi Association for the Study of Liver diseases and Transplantation (SASLT) formed a multi-disciplinary task force to evaluate and update the previously published guidelines by the Saudi Gastroenterology Association. These guidelines were later reviewed, adopted and endorsed by the Saudi Oncology Society (SOS) as its official HCC guidelines as well. The committee assigned to revise the Saudi HCC guidelines was composed of hepatologists, oncologists, liver surgeons, transplant surgeons, and interventional radiologists. Two members of the task force served as guidelines editors. A wide based search on all published reports on all aspects of the epidemiology, natural history, risk factors, diagnosis, and management of HCC was performed. All available literature was critically examined and available evidence was then classified according to its strength. The whole document and the recommendations were then discussed in detail by members and consensus was obtained. All recommendations in these guidelines were based on the best available evidence, but were tailored to the patients treated in Saudi Arabia. We hope that these guidelines will improve HCC patient care and enhance the multidisciplinary care needed for these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. aabdo@ksu.edu.sa
authors.forename: Ayman A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Abdo
authors.forename: Mazen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hassanain
authors.forename: AbdulRahman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: AlJumah
authors.forename: Ashwaq
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al Olayan
authors.forename: Faisal M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Sanai
authors.forename: Hamad A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Alsuhaibani
authors.forename: Huda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abdulkareem
authors.forename: Khalid
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abdallah
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: AlMuaikeel
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al Saghier
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Babatin
authors.forename: Monther
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kabbani
authors.forename: Shouki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bazarbashi
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Metrakos
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bruix
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D012529:Saudi Arabia