Overview of Asian clinical practice guidelines for the management of hepatocellular carcinoma: An Asian perspective comparison

• Published in: Clinical and molecular hepatology Vol. 29; no. 2; pp. 252 - 262
• Main Authors: Cho, Yuri, Kim, Bo Hyun, Park, Joong-Won
• Format: Journal Article Book Review
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Association for the Study of the Liver 01-04-2023; The Korean Association for the Study of the Liver
• Subjects: Algorithms; asia; Asia - epidemiology; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - diagnosis; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - therapy; Chemoembolization; chronic hepatitis b; Clinical medicine; Clinical practice guidelines; Embolization; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B, Chronic - complications; Hepatitis C; hepatocellular carcinoma; Humans; Infections; Liver cancer; Liver cirrhosis; Liver diseases; Liver Neoplasms - diagnosis; Liver Neoplasms - therapy; Magnetic resonance imaging; Medical screening; Metastasis; National health insurance; Oncology; practice guideline; Review; Surveillance; Taiwan; Tumors; Ultrasonic imaging; Veins & arteries; Asia; Taiwan; Hong Kong China; United States > US; China; Japan; Practice guideline; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Chronic hepatitis B; Asia
• ISSN: 2287-2728; 2287-285X
• DOI: 10.3350/cmh.2023.0099

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is highly prevalent and the third most common cause of cancer-related death in Asia. In contrast to the West, the main etiology of HCC in many Asian countries except Japan is chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Differences in the major causes of HCC lead to significant clinical and treatment differences. This review summarizes and compares guidelines on managing HCC from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea. From oncology and socio-economic perspectives, factors such as underlying diseases, staging methods, government policies, insurance coverage, and medical resources contribute to varying treatment strategies among countries. Furthermore, the differences in each guideline are fundamentally caused by the lack of incontrovertible medical evidence, and even existing results of clinical trials can be interpreted differently. This review will provide a complete overview of the current Asian guidelines for HCC in recommendations and in practice.