Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: medical options.

Nonsurgical therapy provides some benefit to patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, although surgical options, including transplantation, remain the only chance for cure. Careful patient selection is required; patients with small nodular tumors may be considered for PEI therapy, whereas patients with larger tumors may be considered for TACE. Regardless of the treatment modality, the likelihood of survival is usually directly associated with the degree of hepatic dysfunction. Randomized, controlled trials of these treatment modalities are limited in number and design; therefore, it is difficult to assess their true impact on patient survival and quality of life. Secondary chemoprophylaxis against recurrent disease with vitamin A analogues is a promising adjunctive measure to both surgical and nonsurgical treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma.