Treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma: from the standpoint of the internal medicine

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an important clinical issue in Japan because of high prevalence and poor prognosis. HCC is treated by surgical operation including liver transplantation, microwave coagulo-necrotic therapy, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT) and/or transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). Recent advance in these treatments can improve the prognosis of HCC. HCC is, however, multi-centrically occurred based on liver cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis. Therefore, physicians should treat not only HCC but also liver cirrhosis and hepatitis to patients with HCC.