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World J Gastroenterol. Nov 7, 2014; 20(41): 15007-15017
Published online Nov 7, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i41.15007
Current surgical treatment strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma in North America
Adeel S Khan, Kathryn J Fowler, William C Chapman
Adeel S Khan, Department of General and Vascular Surgery, Aurora Bay Care Medical Center, Greenbay, WI 54311, United States
Kathryn J Fowler, Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, United States
William C Chapman, Department of Surgery, Section of Abdominal Transplant, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, United States
Author contributions: Khan AS and Chapman WC wrote the paper; Fowler KJ contributed with radiology images and to the writing of the section on diagnosis.
Correspondence to: Adeel S Khan, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery, Department of General and Vascular Surgery, Aurora Bay Care Medical Center, 2845 Greenbrier Rd, Greenbay, WI 54311, United States. adeel.khan@aurora.org
Telephone: +1-906-2900348 Fax: +1-715-7358921
Received: April 28, 2014
Revised: June 27, 2014
Accepted: July 24, 2014
Published online: November 7, 2014
Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive tumor that often occurs in the setting of chronic liver disease. Many patients do not initially manifest any symptoms of HCC and present late when cure with surgical resection or transplantation is no longer possible. For this reason, patients at high risk for developing HCC are subjected to frequent screening processes. The surgical management of HCC is complex and requires an inter-disciplinary approach. Hepatic resection is the treatment of choice for HCC in patients without cirrhosis and is indicated in some patients with early cirrhosis (Child-Pugh A). Liver transplantation has emerged in the past decade as the standard of care for patients with cirrhosis and HCC meeting Milan criteria and in select patients with HCC beyond Milan criteria. Loco-regional therapy with transarterial chemoembolization, transarterial embolization, radiofrequency ablation and other similar local treatments can be used as neo-adjuvant therapy to downstage HCC to within Milan criteria or as a bridge to transplantation in patients on transplant wait list.

Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma, Liver transplantation, Liver resection, Transarterial chemoembolization, Radiofrequency ablation

Core tip: This is a review article on the current strategies for the management of hepatocellular carcinoma in North America. This article covers the evolution of techniques and provides comparison between different modalities discussed.