CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS OF HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA

Abstract

We are coming in a stage where efforts are being directed toward the detection of small resectable HCC before the secondaries have developed. To that end, AFP alone is not as dependable as once thought when this test became available. Close clinical follow-up of patients with chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis with regular intervals for AFP is imperative. Consistently and mildly abnormal AFP levels should arouse suspicion and more sophisticated diagnostic means are to be sought, such as celiac angiography, laparoscopy and scintiscanning. Tumor specific immunological tests are to be developed to reinforce the diagnostic armamentarium for early detection of HCC.