Hepatocellular Carcinoma Research Paper
SIGNIFICANCE
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-death in the world. In 2012, 782,000 people were diagnosed and 95% mortality rate makes it the sixth most common cancer [1]. HCC in early stages is usually asymptomatic. When symptoms do occur they are usually mistaken for other liver diseases. Therefore, early diagnosis of HCC is extremely challenging. Surgical resection and liver transplant are the best treatment options for early stage HCC (BCLC stage 0 or A [2]). These treatments can help early stage patients to achieve a 5-year survival at 40% to 70% rate. However, very few patients would actually be suitable for these treatment options [2]. Most patients are diagnosed at intermediate to advanced stage (B
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-death in the world. In 2012, 782,000 people were diagnosed and 95% mortality rate makes it the sixth most common cancer [1]. HCC in early stages is usually asymptomatic. When symptoms do occur they are usually mistaken for other liver diseases. Therefore, early diagnosis of HCC is extremely challenging. Surgical resection and liver transplant are the best treatment options for early stage HCC (BCLC stage 0 or A [2]). These treatments can help early stage patients to achieve a 5-year survival at 40% to 70% rate. However, very few patients would actually be suitable for these treatment options [2]. Most patients are diagnosed at intermediate to advanced stage (B