Hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the sixth most prevalent cancer and the third most frequent cause of cancer-related death. Patients with cirrhosis are at highest risk of developing this malignant disease, and ultrasonography every 6 months is recommended. Surveillance with ultrasonography allows diagnosis at early stages when the tumour might be curable by resection, liver transplantation, or ablation, and 5-year survival higher than 50% can be achieved. Patients with small solitary tumours and very well preserved liver function are the best candidates for surgical resection. Liver transplantation is most beneficial for individuals who are not good candidates for resection, especially those within Milano criteria (solitary tumour ≤5 cm and up to three nodules ≤3 cm). Donor shortage greatly limits its applicability. Percutaneous ablation is the most frequently used treatment but its effectiveness is limited by tumour size and localisation. In asymptomatic patients with multifocal disease without vascular invasion or extrahepatic spread not amenable to curative treatments, chemoembolisation can provide survival benefit. Findings of randomised trials of sorafenib have shown survival benefits for individuals with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, suggesting that molecular-targeted therapies could be effective in this chemoresistant cancer. Research is active in the area of pathogenesis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Retracted:HBx‐mediated decrease of AIM2 contributes to hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis

“…Despite recent studies identifying many cancer‐related factors in HCC metastasis, the underlying mechanism of HCC progression remains largely unknown (Forner et al ., 2012). Recent studies have proposed that inflammation not only comprises a malignant factor of tumorigenesis, but also is involved in the subsequent change of carcinogenesis that promotes tumor metastasis (Coffelt and de Visser, 2014).…”

β-Arrestin1 enhances hepatocellular carcinogenesis through inflammation-mediated Akt signalling

“…H epatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the main form of liver cancer, is the sixth most common cancer and the third most frequent cause of cancer death worldwide 1 . The exact mechanism of HCC initiation and development is still unclear, though inflammation has been shown to play a key role in this progression 2 .…”

Propensity score‐matched comparison of non‐anatomical resection and radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with up to three tumours, each measuring up to 3 cm in diameter

“…The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) group30 classifies single HCC smaller than 2 cm into very early‐stage disease, and a single lesion or nodules not larger than 3 cm into early‐stage HCC30. The Japan Society of Hepatology (JSH)31 recommends surgical resection or RFA for HCC with a maximum diameter of 3 cm and three or fewer tumours, embracing the very early and early‐stage in the BCLC classification.…”