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Abstract Details
Current systemic treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: A review of the literature
Chen KW1, Ou TM1, Hsu CW1, Horng CT1, Lee CC1, Tsai YY1, Tsai CC1, Liou YS1, Yang CC1, Hsueh CW1, Kuo WH1. World J Hepatol. 2015 Jun 8;7(10):1412-20. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v7.i10.1412.
Author information
1Kai-Wen Chen, Department of Internal Medicine, Hualien Armed Forces General Hospital, Hualien 97144, Taiwan.
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common form of human cancer worldwide and the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths. The strategies of various treatments for HCC depend on the stage of tumor, the status of patient's performance and the reserved hepatic function. The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system is currently used most for patients with HCC. For example, for patients with BCLC stage 0 (very early stage) and stage A (early stage) HCC, the curable treatment modalities, including resection, transplantation and radiofrequency ablation, are taken into consideration. If the patients are in BCLC stage B (intermediate stage) and stage C (advanced stage) HCC, they may need the palliative transarterial chemoembolization and even the target medication of sorafenib. In addition, symptomatic treatment is always recommended for patients with BCLC stage D (end stage) HCC. In this review, we will attempt to summarize the historical perspective and the current developments of systemic therapies in BCLC stage B and C in HCC.