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Current Oncology Reports
Published in: Current Oncology Reports 6/2017

01-06-2017 | Gastrointestinal Cancers (J Meyer, Section Editor)

Update on Embolization Therapies for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Authors: Sirish Kishore, Tamir Friedman, David C. Madoff

Published in: Current Oncology Reports | Issue 6/2017

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Abstract

Purpose of Review

The purpose of the review is to summarize the latest applications for embolotherapy in the management of patients with HCC according to BCLC stage.

Recent Findings

While traditionally reserved for patients with unresectable HCC and stage B disease, there is an important role for embolization therapies in earlier stage patients as an adjunct to ablation, bridging, or downstaging therapy, as a means to improve safety of resection, and potentially as an arterial ablative option in the case of radioembolization. Newer applications of radioembolization such as radiation segmentectomy have the potential to provide cure in localized unifocal disease, and transarterial chemoembolization–portal vein embolization and radiation lobectomy may provide a combination of treatment and future liver remnant hypertrophy for planned hepatic resection. There is also an increasing role for embolization in the treatment of stage C disease, and recent data suggest it can be used in combination with sorafenib with the potential for survival benefit over sorafenib alone, even in the case of portal vein tumor thrombus.

Summary

Embolization therapies play an increasingly important role in patients with BCLC stage A–C hepatocellular carcinoma. While different therapies may be offered on a patient-specific basis, there are limited prospective RCT data to support superiority of one technique over another.
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Metadata
Title
Update on Embolization Therapies for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors
Sirish Kishore
Tamir Friedman
David C. Madoff
Publication date
01-06-2017
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Current Oncology Reports / Issue 6/2017
Print ISSN: 1523-3790
Electronic ISSN: 1534-6269
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11912-017-0597-2

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