Systemic therapies in hepatocellular carcinoma: present and future.

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Oncology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality, often diagnosed at advanced stages.
• Conventional chemotherapy lacks efficacy for HCC, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.
• Advances in understanding molecular hepatocarcinogenesis enable targeted treatment approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets in HCC.
• To focus on targeted agents including sorafenib, sunitinib, and tivantinib.
• To discuss antiangiogenic agents and immunotherapies for HCC.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of molecular mechanisms in HCC.
• Analysis of targeted therapies and their efficacy.
• Exploration of current and future immunotherapeutic strategies.

Main Results:

• Sorafenib has demonstrated significant improvements in overall survival for HCC patients.
• Targeted therapies offer a promising alternative to conventional cytotoxic treatments.
• Genomic and proteomic profiling are crucial for classifying HCC subgroups.

Conclusions:

• Future HCC therapy will require classification into subgroups based on molecular profiles.
• Identifying key molecular targets is essential for predicting treatment response.
• Personalized therapy, tailored to specific HCC subgroups, is the future direction.