Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer, arising from hepatocytes, the main functional cells of the liver. It carries a heavy global burden where chronic hepatitis B infection and cirrhosis are widespread.
Key points
- Early-stage disease can sometimes be cured outright through surgery, tumour ablation or a liver transplant.
- For advanced disease, a systemic drug can block both tumour growth signals and the new blood vessels tumours need.
- The cancer often produces no clear warning signs until an advanced stage, so new jaundice or abdominal swelling deserves swift assessment.
Systemic treatment for advanced HCC
When HCC is detected at an early stage, surgery, ablation, or liver transplantation can offer a curative path. For disease that has spread or cannot be resected, systemic therapy becomes the main option. Sorafenib is an oral multikinase inhibitor that was the first systemic agent to demonstrate a meaningful survival benefit in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. It works by blocking tumour cell growth signals and the blood-vessel formation tumours depend on. It sits within the broader oncology support range and is typically used when local treatments are no longer appropriate.
Anyone experiencing new upper abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss, jaundice, or a swollen abdomen should seek prompt medical evaluation, as HCC often presents late and early diagnosis meaningfully improves the range of available options.