Current Treatment Strategies for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer related death both in the United States and worldwide. Proper management begins with identification of high risk individuals who may benefit from a screening program for HCC, since early detection of this cancer can lead to improved survival. Advances in radiographic technology and new staging systems that take tumor burden and clinical status into account allow patients to be more accurately stratified into proper treatment groups. Depending on the cancer stage, treatments such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA), surgical resection and liver transplantation offer a potential cure, while other treatments such as transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) can prolong life with HCC. New agents such as the oral multikinase inhibitor sorafenib show promise of slowing disease through utilization of molecular targeting. In this article, we will review management strategies of HCC, from diagnosis to treatment.