Highlights of regional meeting of Italian Southern Oncological Group (GOIM): focus on hepatocellular carcinoma: biological and clinical background, therapeutic guide-lines and perspectives. 7 November 2008, Naples, Italy.

This Italian meeting, co-sponsored by the Italian Southern Oncological Group (GOIM), focused on different aspects of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Topics included epidemiological studies, identification of environmental and genetic risk factors, the molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis, new diagnostic approaches and standard and novel treatment modalities. HCC remains a major health problem worldwide. It is the fifth most common cancer in the world, and the third most common cause of cancer-related death. The goal of HCC management is 'cancer control', reduction in its incidence and mortality as well as improvement in the quality of life of patients with HCC and their families. HCC epidemiology in Campania and the role of hepatitis viruses C and B in the pathogenesis of this cancer were described. Subsequently, state of the art and perspectives on the transduction pathways as therapeutic targets in HCC were evaluated. Another session was about HCC diagnosis by imaging techniques. The last session was dedicated to clinical treatment of this cancer, the role of liver transplantation, surgical resection, loco-regional procedures and systemic treatment modalities. Finally, the final results of the So.Lar. study on the Sorafenib + octreotide long-acting release (LAR) combination were presented.