Staging classifications for hepatocellular carcinoma

Evaluation and treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma is dependent on accurate staging. Tumor-specific factors and the degree of underlying liver disease must be considered when evaluating patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Clinical staging classification systems based on preinterventional data are predictive of survival and influence patient selection for various therapeutic modalities. Pathologic staging systems accurately assess prognosis and influence additional treatment post resection. The various staging systems for hepatocellular carcinoma are reviewed in detail. The benefits and limitations of these classification systems are discussed in this review. Considerable controversy remains over which classification system provides the optimum staging of hepatocellular carcinoma. The revised American Joint Committee on Cancer/International Union Against Cancer emphasizes the importance of major vascular and microvascular invasion as independent predictors of death and the negative impact of severe fibrosis/cirrhosis on survival following resection of hepatocellular carcinoma. As such, it is currently the most accurate staging system in this group of patients. Its applicability in those patients who are not candidates for resection is uncertain.