Current Status of Surgery in the Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most aggressive abdominal tumors and has a poor prognosis if left untreated. Surgical resection for HCC remains the only potential for cure. Advances in tumor imaging, surgical technique and perioperative care have paved the way for better outcomes following surgical resection of HCC. Mortality rates of less than 5% and long-term survival are achievable by most specialized hepatobiliary units. Moreover, surgeons have now expanded the indications of surgery for HCC to include lesions once considered "irresectable." In this review, we focus on the current status in preoperative selection and optimization of patients, advances in surgical technique as well as the expanding indications of surgery for HCC.