The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) today publish their first joint Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) on the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The EASL-EORTC guidelines define the use of surveillance, diagnosis and therapeutic strategies recommended for patients with HCC.
HCC is the most common form of liver cancer, representing more than 90% of primary liver cancers and an increasing global health burden. It is estimated that, by 2020, the number of cases will reach 78,000 in Europe (up from 65,000 in 2008) and 27,000 in the US (up from 21,000 in 2008). Affecting 2.4 times more men than women, approximately 90% of HCCs are associated with a known underlying risk factor - the most frequent including chronic viral hepatitis (types B and C), alcohol intake and aflatoxin exposure.
