Multidisciplinary management of hepatocellular carcinoma

Treatment of HCC is complicated by its highly variable biologic behavior and the frequent coexistence of chronic liver disease and cirrhosis in affected patients. While surgery remains the most frequently employed treatment modality, curative resection is only possible for a minority of patients. More often, treatment goals are palliative and draw on the expertise of a range of medical specialists. This chapter aims to place current treatment strategies within the framework of a multidisciplinary approach with special emphasis on pretreatment evaluation, staging, and the selection of an appropriate treatment strategy.