An evaluation of hepatocellular carcinoma practice guidelines from a radiation oncology perspective

An evaluation of hepatocellular carcinoma practice guidelines from a radiation oncology perspective: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth common type of cancer and second largest cause of cancer-related deaths globally [1]. HCC also exhibits heterogenous characteristics among regions [2]. In etiology, hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the most common cause of HCC in Asia, including China and Korea, where patients are younger and are commonly diagnosed with advanced disease [3,4]. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and alcoholic liver disease are common causes of HCC in Western countries, while non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases is another cause that is becoming increasingly common [5], where patients are frequently found to have decompensated liver function at diagnosis [4].