Management of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma after resection

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is currently the fifth most common cancer globally, accounting for the third highest cancer-related deaths (1). Liver resection is the treatment modality of choice for resectable HCCs with adequate liver function in the absence of portal hypertension (1), but actuarial recurrence rates remain as high as 70% at 5 years post-resection (2). The recurrence of HCC post-resection portends poorer prognosis, with a 24% reduction in 5-year survival (2). While there have been a multitude of guidelines for the management of primary HCC across the world (3), the international expert consensus recently published by Wen et al. represents the first systematic, evidence-based consensus guidelines for the management of recurrent HCC (RHCC) following liver resection (4).