Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jun 21, 2025; 31(23): 107100
Published online Jun 21, 2025. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i23.107100
Hepatocellular carcinoma in patients without cirrhosis
Karina Sato-Espinoza, Mayra Valdivia-Herrera, Perapa Chotiprasidhi, Javier Diaz-Ferrer
Karina Sato-Espinoza, Perapa Chotiprasidhi, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55902, United States
Mayra Valdivia-Herrera, Escuela de Medicina Humana, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Cientifica del Sur, Lima 15067, Peru
Javier Diaz-Ferrer, Hepatology Service, Department of Digestive Diseases, Hospital Nacional Edgardo Rebagliati Martins, Lima 15072, Peru
Javier Diaz-Ferrer, Department of Gastroenterology Service, Clinica Internacional, Lima 15036, Peru
Javier Diaz-Ferrer, Medicine Faculty, Universidad San Martin de Porres, Lima 15024, Peru
Author contributions: Sato-Espinoza K, Valdivia-Herrera M, Chotiprasidhi P, and Diaz-Ferrer J performed the methodology and wrote, reviewed, and edited the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Javier Diaz-Ferrer, MD, Associate Professor, Hepatology Service, Department of Digestive Diseases, Hospital Nacional Edgardo Rebagliati Martins, 490 Edgardo Rebagliati Avenue, Lima 15072, Peru. jodf13@hotmail.com
Received: March 16, 2025
Revised: April 22, 2025
Accepted: May 27, 2025
Published online: June 21, 2025
Processing time: 97 Days and 14.5 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer, and the incidence of HCC among individuals without cirrhosis is on the rise, correlating with increasing rates of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Targeted surveillance is advised for high-risk groups, especially those with chronic hepatitis B infection, while it remains unrecommended for individuals with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. Liver biopsy is the only diagnostic method available for this population, highlighting the need for further non-invasive diagnostic tools. This review summarizes the epidemiology, clinical and genetic characteristics, diagnostic methods, and treatment options for patients with non-cirrhotic HCC.