Current status of hepatocellular carcinoma in the United States

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a challenging malignancy of worldwide importance and is the third most common cause of cancer-related death globally. While most of the burden of HCC is borne in Southeast Asia, particularly China, and sub-Saharan Africa, there have been several interesting trends of HCC in the United States in the past decades. First, the latest epidemiology trend has shown that the incidence rates for HCC in the United States have been rising. While most cancer related mortality is decreasing in the United States, deaths from HCC are increasing and at a rate faster than deaths from any other types of cancer. Second, early diagnosis of HCC continues to be challenging and most patients would present with unresectable disease. Third, the management of HCC is evolving with many new treatment modalities applied in clinical practice. In addition, multidisciplinary team efforts with increasing role of oncologists have emerged in the management of HCC in most centers in the United States. In this review, the author will highlight the key trends and current status of HCC in the United States.