الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer in the world. In 1990, the World Health Organization estimated that there were about 430,000 new cases of hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide, and a similar number of patients died as a result of this disease. Primary and secondary malignant hepatic tumors are some of the most common tumors worldwide. Unfortunately, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are ineffective treatment methods. Surgical resection is considered the only potentially curative option; however, few patients are surgical candidates. A few patients may be candidates for liver transplantation, but the limited availability of livers for transplantation restricts the use of this approach Recent results from multiple investigations indicate that several minimally invasive treatment techniques are very effective for treating primary and secondary malignant hepatic tumors and those they may replace surgical resection in the near future . Risk factors of hepatocellular carcinoma include hepatitis C infection, hepatitis B infection, alcohol, haemochromatosis, alfa toxin b1 and liver cirrhosis. Alfa feto protien levels have been shown to be prognostically important, with the median survival of alfa feto protien negative patients significantly longer than that of alfa feto protien positive patients. Other prognostic variables include, liver functions, and the presence or absence of cirrhosis and its severity in relation to the Child-Pugh classification. |