[Hepatocellular carcinoma]

Abstract

One of the advances in recent years about the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma is clinical evidence of the molecular target drug, sorafenib. Although sorafenib shows little anti-tumor effect indicated by tumor shrinkage, it has inhibitory effect of tumor development to be the first drug shown to extend survival in hepatocellular carcinoma. Because its side effects are different than the traditional cytotoxic drugs, to better understand the side effects and its treatment is necessary for sorafenib treatment. More appropriate use of sorafenib is recommended because of serious adverse events or deaths in Japan. Position of sorafenib in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma among hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy and transcatheter arterial embolization is not yet clear. Many clinical trials of molecular target drugs against hepatocellular carcinoma are underway.