ABSTRACT
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the most common malignant neoplasms in the world (1) and is on the increase in western countries (2,3). Unlike other solid tumors, surgery plays a limited role in the treatment of HCC (4-6). Only 20% to 30% of patients can be candidates for hepatectomy because of underlying cirrhosis or multiple lesions. Furthermore, this cancer frequently recurs even after apparently curative resection (7) because of latent metastasis or metachronous multicentric carcinogenesis. Liver transplantation may be effective in some cases (8), but its feasibility is restricted by organ donor shortage.
