Transarterial chemoembolization and sorafenib in patients with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma: time to enter routine clinical practice?

According to the guidelines of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), patients affected from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can be classified according to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system. This classification system divides HCC patients in five stages (0, A, B, C and D) on the basis of a number of prognostic and treatment- related variables such as tumor status and liver function. A specific treat ment approach is then proposed for each of the above-mentioned stages. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is recommended as first-line therapy in the treatment of patients with intermediate-stage (BCLC-B class) HCC [1]. The efficacy of this procedure…