Current and Future Landscape of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a critical global health challenge, standing as a leading cause of cancer mortality with a significant and projected increasing incidence worldwide. A primary hurdle in HCC management is late diagnosis, often attributable to the absence of early symptoms. Despite considerable advancements in therapeutic strategies over the past decade, including immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapies, mortality rates remain high, underscoring the urgent need for more effective novel approaches. The inherent molecular complexity and heterogeneity of HCC, where only a minority of tumors possess readily targetable drivers, contribute to treatment resistance and recurrence, even after curative interventions. Addressing these challenges, combination therapies, integrating immunotherapy with targeted agents, are emerging as a promising strategy to enhance efficacy and overcome resistance. This review comprehensively explores the current landscape of HCC treatment and the advancements in systemic therapies, including molecularly targeted agents and immunotherapies, and highlights ongoing challenges and future directions in this rapidly evolving field.