University of Nicosia Medical School, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Department of Basic and Clinical Sciences, University of Nicosia Medical School, P.O. Box 24005, 21 Ilia Papakyriakou, 2414 Engomi, CY-1700, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Curr Treat Options Oncol. 2023 Jul;24(7):711-724. doi: 10.1007/s11864-023-01098-9. Epub 2023 Apr 27.
Hepatocellular carcinoma is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and its associated mortality rate is expected to rise within the next decade. The incidence rate of hepatocellular carcinoma varies significantly across countries and the latter can be attributed to the differences in risk factors that are prevalent across different countries. Some of the risk factors associated with hepatocellular carcinoma include hepatitis B and C infections, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and alcoholic liver disease. Regardless of the underlying aetiology, the end result is liver fibrosis and cirrhosis that ultimately progress into carcinoma. The treatment and management of hepatocellular carcinoma is complicated by treatment resistance and high tumor recurrence rates. Early stages of hepatocellular carcinoma are treated with liver resection and other forms of surgical therapy. Advanced stages of hepatocellular carcinoma can be treated with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and the use of oncolytic viruses and these treatment options can be combined with nanotechnology to improve efficacy and reduce side effects. Moreover, chemotherapy and immunotherapy can be combined to further improve treatment efficacy and overcome resistance. Despite the treatment options available, the high mortality rates provide evidence that current treatment options for advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma are not achieving the desired therapeutic goals. Various clinical trials are ongoing to improve treatment efficacy, reduce recurrence rates, and ultimately prolong survival. This narrative review aims to provide an update on our current knowledge and future direction of research on hepatocellular carcinoma.
肝细胞癌是全球癌症相关死亡的第四大主要原因，预计在未来十年内其相关死亡率将会上升。肝细胞癌的发病率在各国之间存在显著差异，这可以归因于不同国家普遍存在的危险因素的差异。一些与肝细胞癌相关的危险因素包括乙型肝炎和丙型肝炎感染、非酒精性脂肪性肝病和酒精性肝病。无论潜在病因如何，最终结果都是肝纤维化和肝硬化，最终发展为癌。肝细胞癌的治疗和管理因治疗耐药性和高肿瘤复发率而变得复杂。肝细胞癌的早期阶段采用肝切除术和其他形式的手术治疗。晚期肝细胞癌可以采用化疗、免疫疗法和使用溶瘤病毒进行治疗，这些治疗选择可以与纳米技术结合使用，以提高疗效并减少副作用。此外，化疗和免疫疗法可以联合使用，以进一步提高治疗效果并克服耐药性。尽管有治疗选择，但高死亡率表明，目前治疗晚期肝细胞癌的方法并未达到预期的治疗目标。正在进行各种临床试验以提高治疗效果、降低复发率，并最终延长生存期。本综述旨在提供关于肝细胞癌的最新知识和未来研究方向的更新。
