Main description:

This open access book offers a comprehensive review of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with a particular focus on the pathobiology and clinical aspects of the disease, including diagnosis and treatment. HCC is becoming one of the most common causes of cancer-related death worldwide. It is the fifth most common malignancy in men and the ninth in women, with an estimated 500,000 to 1 million new cases annually around the world. Independent of its cause, cirrhosis is considered a major clinical and histopathological risk factor for HCC development. Five percent of all cirrhotic patients develop HCC every year. Diagnostic tools for HCC include blood tests, high-quality imaging studies and liver biopsy. The treatment of HCC depends on the size and location of the HCC and includes surgical resection, liver transplantation, endovascular approaches, percutaneous ablation, and medical treatments. The book is organized into four parts - overview, diagnosis, management strategies, and recommendations - and aims to provide surgeons and clinicians with a valuable resource for complete and up-to-date research on the clinical aspects and management of HCC.

Contents:

PART I: OVERVIEW.- Chapter 1. Epidemiological Aspects of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.- Chapter 2. Molecular and Genetic Mechanisms of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.- Chapter 3. Role of the Immune System in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.- Chapter 4. Underlying Liver Disease.- PART II: DIAGNOSIS.- Chapter 5. Imaging of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.- Chapter 6. Pathology of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.- Chapter 7. Hepatological Evaluation and Biomarkers.- PART III: TREATMENT.- Chapter 8. Percutaneous and Laparoscopic-Assisted Ablation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.- Chapter 9. Endovascular Treatments of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.- Chapter 10. Indications for Surgery in Cirrhotic Patients.- Chapter 11. Laparoscopic Approach for the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.- Chapter 12. Robotic Approach for the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.- Chapter 13. Ultrasound-Guided Liver Resection and Parenchymal-Sparing Surgery.- Chapter 14. Surgical Margins for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.- Chapter 15. Major Hepatectomies for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.- Chapter 16. R1-Vascular Surgery for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.- Chapter 17. Associating Liver Partition and Portal Vein Ligation for Staged Hepatectomy (ALPPS).- Chapter 18. "Re-Do" Surgery for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Indications and Results.- Chapter 19. Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.- Chapter 20. Downstaging Strategies Prior to Liver Transplantation.- Chapter 21. Hepatocellular Carcinoma Medical Therapy.- PART IV: SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS.- Chapter 22. Surveillance for Patients at Risk of Developing Hepatocellular Carcinoma.- Chapter 23. Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recurrence: How to Manage.- Chapter 24. Liver Biopsy: How and When.- Chapter 25. Anesthesiologic Management During Surgery for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.