title: Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: present and future.
abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma is a major health problem. It is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and the third most common cause of cancer-related death. Despite the availability of several treatment opportunities, diagnosis is still made in an advanced phase, limiting application of most therapeutic choices that currently are based on the Barcelona Clinic Cancer Liver Classification and include surgical resection, orthotopic liver transplantation and ablative methods for very early and early disease, arterial chemoembolization for intermediate stages and systemic therapy with sorafenib for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Thanks to novel advancements in knowledge of molecular pathogenesis of this tumor, many new systemic agents and locoregional treatments are in different stages of clinical development and they represent an important promise of further improvements in patients' survival.
authors.affiliation: Section of Gastroenterology, DIBIMIS, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Genco
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cabibbo
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maida
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brancatelli
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galia
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alessi
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Butera
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Genova
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raineri
authors.forename: Antonello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giarratano
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Midiri
authors.forename: Calogero
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cammà
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*