Prognostic and Predictive Markers for Hepatocellular Cancer: Review of Markers Assisting in Treatment Decision for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

HCC is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. The outcome for patients with HCC still dismal, although it has improved much in the past few decades, a definitive subset is cured by surgery only, and encouraging long-term survival of patients have been obtained in some clinical centers. The life expectancy of HCC patients is hard to predict, making it difficult to decide the patient's prognosis. Alfa- Feto protein (AFP) remains the most commonly & accepted prognostic biomarker used in the management of HCC but with no positive impact on the course of the disease. That necessitated the studying of new molecular biomarkers and their role in early detection and prediction of the clinical course of the disease. A large number of molecular biological factors have been shown to associate with the invasiveness of HCC, and have potential prognostic significance. However, these markers are not routinely available for the prediction of HCC prognosis. This book we will try to validate data about the new advances in the prognostic and predictive markers for HCC, verifying a simple prognostic model for patients with untreated HCC for use in developing countries.