The therapeutic landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma

• Published in: Med (New York, N.Y. : Online) Vol. 2; no. 5; pp. 505 - 552
• Main Authors: Gallage, Suchira, García-Beccaria, María, Szydlowska, Marta, Rahbari, Mohammad, Mohr, Raphael, Tacke, Frank, Heikenwalder, Mathias
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 14.05.2021
• Subjects: immunotherapies; liver cancer; multi kinase inhibitors; systemic therapies; therapeutic landscape; immunotherapies; systemic therapies; multi kinase inhibitors; liver cancer; therapeutic landscape
• ISSN: 2666-6340; 2666-6340
• DOI: 10.1016/j.medj.2021.03.002

The liver is endowed with an amazing regenerative capacity that allows it to withstand an enormous amount of damage. Nevertheless, it is precisely this highly regenerative capacity that renders it susceptible to dysplasia and liver cancer. Liver cancer is not only one of the most common cancers but also one of the deadliest. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of liver cancer, accounting for up to 70%–90% of all cases, but treatment options for advanced stages remain scarce. Therefore, a great deal of effort has gone into identifying early diagnostic markers as well as novel therapies, both local and systemic, for the treatment of this deadly disease. In this review, we aim to shed light into the current therapeutic landscape of HCC with an emphasis on the available treatments, ranging from surgical and local-ablative therapy for early and intermediate stages of the disease to systemic therapies for advanced cancer treatments. We will also address the molecular mechanisms and limitations of currently available systemic therapies and the causes of treatment resistance and finally summarize the emerging future avenues and novel concepts that are promising. Gallage et al. shed light on the currently available treatments for liver cancer, ranging from surgical and local-ablative therapy for early and intermediate stages to systemic therapies for advanced cancer treatments. They also address the molecular mechanisms and limitations of systemic therapies, treatment resistance, and promising novel treatment avenues.