Think tank on locoregional treatments in hepatocellular carcinoma: a snapshot of real-life practice

Objectives The aim of this survey was to obtain a snapshot of the real-life practice of locoregional treatment in hepatocellular carcinoma patients, which can sometimes greatly diverge from the guidelines. Materials and methods This survey, elaborated before and during the Mediterranean Interventional Oncology Live (MIO-Live) 2024 congress, was based on a pre-congress questionnaire and an in-congress questionnaire via a voting system during an expert panel discussion simulating a multidisciplinary tumor board for hepatocellular carcinoma patients. Voters and the expert panel were from various centers all over the world. Results Eighty participants answered the pre-congress questionnaire. Seventy-two, 64, and 78 participants answered the in-congress questionnaire through the voting system for the early-, intermediate-, and advanced-stage HCC categories, respectively. Trends in locoregional treatment choice and application were obtained and confronted with current guidelines for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment. Conclusions The survey showed how hepatocellular carcinoma patients are treated with locoregional techniques in real-life practice, highlighting the difference that can arise between multidisciplinary tumor board decisions and current guidelines.