Locoregional therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma can be treated using minimally invasive, image-guided, catheter-based or percutaneous techniques. Such procedures offer compelling clinical outcomes with a favorable side-effect profile in a population of patients who are poor candidates for surgical or systemic treatment. This article discusses key data regarding the effectiveness of locoregional therapies in treating these patients. Disease-specific treatment is discussed in the context of hepatocellular carcinoma, with additional data discussed in the context of transplantation. As rapid innovation occurs in the realm of oncology, interventional oncology represents a safe, effective alternative that continues to generate impressive data that could potentially change treatment paradigms.

Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; Interventional oncology; Locoregional therapies; Percutaneous ethanol injection; Radioembolization; Radiofrequency ablation; Transarterial chemoembolization; Transplantation.