Emerging facets in the treatment of patients with hepatopancreaticobiliary malignancies

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is diagnosed at an early stage in 30 to 40% of patients1. Potentially curative treatments include surgical therapies such as resection and liver transplantation and locoregional procedures such as radiofrequency ablation1. Chemoembolisation is recommended for patients with preserved liver function and disease confined to the liver, generally without vascular invasion1. Five year survival rates of up to 60 to 70% are achieved in well-selected patients. However, disease that is diagnosed at an advanced stage or with progression after locoregional therapy has a dismal prognosis, owing to the underlying liver disease and the lack of effective treatment options2,3.
Source: Current Problems in Cancer - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Source Type: research