Molecular profiling in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma

The purpose of this review is to both summarize the current knowledge of hepatocellular carcinoma molecular biology and to suggest a framework in which to prospectively translate this knowledge into patient care. This is timely as recent guidelines recommend increased use of these technologies to advance personalized liver cancer care.

The main themes covered here address germline and somatic genetic alterations recently discovered in hepatocellular carcinoma, largely owing to next generation sequencing technologies, and nascent efforts to translate these into contemporary practice.

Early efforts of translating molecular profiling to hepatocellular carcinoma care demonstrate a growing number of potentially actionable alterations. Still lacking are a consensus on what biomarkers and technologies to adopt, at what scale and cost, and how to integrate them most effectively into care.