title: New challenges in clinical research on hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: This is an updated review of screening, early diagnosis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, focusing on the advancements occurred in the last years and highlighting the challenges in clinical research. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is nowadays the sixth most frequent cancer worldwide with up to 740,000 new cases diagnosed each year, and it is the third most prevalent cause of cancer-related-death worldwide (1). This neoplasm usually appears linked to an underlying liver disease, being one of the most relevant causes of death in patients diagnosed of liver cirrhosis (2,3). In the last years, important advancements in terms of diagnosis, staging and treatment of HCC, improving the management and outcome of the disease, have been made (4-7). Despite the fact that these improvements have absolutely changed natural history of HCC, there are several areas that still need further advancements. The aim of this document is to discuss some controversial aspects, which in our opinion constitute real challenges in clinical research of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Hepatología. Hospital Clínic Barcelona, Unidad de Oncología Hepática (BCLC) .
authors.forename: Álvaro
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Díaz-González
authors.affiliation: Hospital Clínic Barcelona. Ciberehd, Unidad de Oncología Hepática (BCLC).
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Forner
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Digestivo. IDIVAL, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla..
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodríguez de Lope
authors.affiliation: Digestivo. Sección de Hepatología, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, España.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Varela
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis