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Review
. 2025 Feb;29(1):33-48.
doi: 10.1016/j.cld.2024.08.007. Epub 2024 Oct 28.

The Diagnosis and Staging of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Review of Current Practices

Philip Vutien  1 , Nicole J Kim  2 , Mindie H Nguyen  3
Affiliations
Review

The Diagnosis and Staging of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Review of Current Practices

Philip Vutien et al. Clin Liver Dis. 2025 Feb.

Abstract

Promoting the early detection and diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a critical strategy to improve patient outcomes as this can lead to greater access to curative treatments. This review highlights the diagnostic tests for HCC, including the use of the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System systems and histopathology. Staging is essential for informing prognosis and guiding treatment decisions; this review also covers a widely used and well-validated staging system called the Barcelona-Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) algorithm. The BCLC incorporates tumor status, liver function, and patient performance to stage patients with newly diagnosed HCC.

Keywords: Barcelona-Clinic Liver Cancer; Biomarkers; Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System; Liver cancer; Prognosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure P. Vutien: None. N.J. Kim: None. M.H. Nguyen: Research funding: Pfizer, United States, Enanta, AstraZeneca, United Kingdom, Delfi Technologies, GSK, Gilead, CurveBio, Exact Sciences, United States, Helio Genomics, Glycotest, Vir Biotech; Consulting: Exelixis, Gilead, Intercept, GSK, Exact Science. Financial support: No external funding to disclose. Human and Animal Rights: This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

MeSH terms