Open AccessCurrent management of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
Author(s) -
Tatsuo Kanda,
Sadahisa Ogasawara,
Tadatoshi Chiba,
Yuki Haga,
Masao Omata,
Osamu Yokosuka
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
world journal of hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.913
H-Index - 55
ISSN - 1948-5182
DOI - 10.4254/wjh.v7.i15.1913
Subject(s) - medicine , hepatocellular carcinoma , sorafenib , liver transplantation , radiofrequency ablation , cirrhosis , modalities , oncology , milan criteria , adverse effect , liver cancer , carcinoma , economic shortage , transplantation , intensive care medicine , ablation , social science , sociology , linguistics , philosophy , government (linguistics)
The current management therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients are discussed in this review. Despite the development of new therapies, HCC remains a "difficult to treat" cancer because HCC typically occurs in advanced liver disease or hepatic cirrhosis. The progression of multistep and multicentric HCC hampers the prevention of the recurrence of HCC. Many HCC patients are treated with surgical resection and radiofrequency ablation (RFA), although these modalities should be considered in only selected cases with a certain HCC number and size. Although there is a shortage of grafts, liver transplantation has the highest survival rates for HCC. Several modalities are salvage treatments; however, intensive care in combination with other modalities or in combination with surgical resection or RFA might offer a better prognosis. Sorafenib is useful for patients with advanced HCC. In the near future, HCC treatment will include stronger molecular targeted drugs, which will have greater potency and fewer adverse events. Further studies will be ongoing.