Two Decades of Advances in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Research

Liver disease is an active field of knowledge in which advances have been produced at a very rapid pace. Major breakthroughs have dramatically improved the understanding of the molecular mechanisms and pathophysiology of several entities. Without any doubt, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among those areas that have experienced a most intense evolution in terms of research and clinical practice. Two decades ago, HCC was considered a very infrequent cancer in the West and, as such, deserved a limited interest. In addition, it was seen as a neoplasm that would unequivocally carry a grim prognosis. Indeed, it was usually diagnosed at an advanced, symptomatic phase and the sole treatment option considered was surgical resection. Research conducted over the past 20 years has subverted this scenario.