Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignant liver tumor. The global mortality rate is 694,000 cases per year.
The incidence of this disease in recent years has increased and further increase is expected. At the same time, however, more treatment options for these patients appear.
Apart from liver transplantation and resection treatment, biological treatment or interventional radiology methods are available today. Typical patient with this type of tumor is one with liver disease - most commonly cirrhosis or chronic viral hepatitis.
Typically, hepatologists or gastroenterologist is the one who provides the ongoing active care for patients with these diseases. In case a tumor is found in the livers, then transplantologist, surgeon, oncologist, pathologist and intervention radiologist are involved in diagnosis and subsequent therapy.
On-going active care for patients at risk for HCC, careful surveillance and a multidisciplinary approach to therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma should lead to better quality as well as prolongation of lives of such patients.