Current status and progress on non-surgical treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma / 中华消化外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Primary liver cancer (PLC) is one of the most common malignant tumors with characteristics of strong invasiveness and poor prognosis. The morbidity and mortality of PLC rank among the top malignant tumors in the world. More than half of the world′s liver cancer occurs in China, which seriously threatens the health and life of Chinese people. Due to the imperceptible initial symptoms, most patients are not diagnosed until their tumors have progressed to be in advanced stage, and lose the chance for curative hepatectomy. At present, non-surgical treatment options, including interventional embolization, ablation, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and systemic chemotherapy, play an increasingly prominent role in the comprehensive treatment of liver cancer. The authors briefly review the current status and research progress of the non-surgical treatment for liver cancer.