The value of liquid biopsy in the diagnosis and staging of hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is responsible for approximately 90% of primary liver cancers and is the second most common cause of cancer related deaths, worldwide (1). Although it is historically associated with viral infections, the incidence of HCC in western populations is expected to rise due to the increasing prevalence of noncommunicable diseases which are linked to this malignancy. Such diseases include obesity, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty and alcoholic liver disease (2). There have been recent changes to the available t r e a t m e n t o p t i o n s f o r H C C w i t h c o n c o m i t a n t improvements in outcome of patients with early disease. However, the overall prognosis of HCC remains generally poor, and is correlated with presenting stage. As such, early detection of the disease has been shown to be a significant clinical challenge. A diagnostic marker which has the The value of liquid biopsy in the diagnosis and staging of hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review