Liver-directed therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Liver-directed therapy is a critical component of treatment strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma. These therapies included percutaneous image-guided ablation, transarterial chemoembolization, and transarterial radioembolization, and are administered by interventional radiologists. Depending on the stage of disease, a particular treatment modality, or a combination thereof, is expected to be most efficacious in achieving the goals of treatment for a particular patient. This article seeks to review the various liver-directed treatment modalities for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, with attention to their efficacy and patient selection criteria.

Keywords: Chemoembolization; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Image-guided therapy; Liver-directed therapy; Locoregional therapy; Microwave ablation; Primary hepatic malignancy; Radioembolization; Radiofrequency ablation.