Hepatocellular carcinoma: A clinical update

In the setting of HCC, early detection is fundamental. Indeed the goal of surveillance programs is to identify the malignancy at an early stage, when curative options (resection, liver transplantation, or percutaneous treatments) may be feasible. These therapies can be applied to 30% of patients, and result in 5-year survival rates above 50%. The majority of HCC patients, however, are diagnosed at advanced stages and receive palliative treatments. In this setting, only chemoembolization improves survival of well-selected patients with unresectable HCC. Thus, the path forward involves the development of effective strategies of prevention as well as more effective implementation of surveillance programs, with a view toward developing more efficacious treatments and enhancing long-term survival.