From Conversion to Resection for Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Review of the Latest Strategies

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in China, accounting for the majority of primary liver cancer cases. Liver resection is the preferred curative method for early-stage HCC. However, up to 80–85% of patients have already missed the opportunity of radical surger...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chen Liang, Zhaoqian He, Qiang Tao, Xiang Tang, Lingmin Jiang, Xinyue Tu, Zonghao Liu, Hua Chen, Feihu Xie, Yun Zheng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-12-01
Series:Journal of Clinical Medicine
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/24/7665
Description
Summary:Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in China, accounting for the majority of primary liver cancer cases. Liver resection is the preferred curative method for early-stage HCC. However, up to 80–85% of patients have already missed the opportunity of radical surgery due to tumor advances at the time of consultation. Conversion therapies are a series of medications and treatments for initially inoperable patients. For early-stage unresectable HCC (uHCC) patients, conversion therapies are designed to meet surgical requirements by increasing the volume of the residual liver. Meanwhile, for advanced cases, conversion therapies strive for tumor shrinkage and down-staging, creating the opportunity for liver resection or liver transplantation. This review summarizes the latest advances in conversion therapies and highlights their potential for improving the survival benefit of patients with uHCC.
ISSN:2077-0383