Diagnostic imaging for hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurs mostly in individuals with cirrhosis, which is why the guidelines of the most important scientific societies indicate that these patients are included in surveillance programs through the repetition of an ultrasound examination every 6 months. The aim is to achieve early identification of the neoplasia in order to increase the possibility of curative therapies (liver transplantation, surgery or local ablative therapies) and to increase patient survival. HCC nodules arising in cirrhotic livers show characteristic angiographic behavior that can be evaluated with dynamic multidetector computed tomography and dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, the use of these techniques in real life is often hindered by the lack of uniform terminology in reporting and in the interpretation of the exams reflected in the impossibility of comparing examinations performed in different centers and/or at different times. Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System^® was created to standardize reporting and data collection of computed tomography and MRI for HCC. In some cases HCC arises in patients with healthy livers and, although there is evidence that angiographic behavior is not different from cirrhotic patients in this clinical situation, the guidelines still indicate the execution of a biopsy. Frequent use of palliative therapeutic techniques such as transarterial chemoembolization, transarterial radioembolization or administration of antiangiogenic drugs (sorafenib) poses problems of interpretation of the therapeutic response with repercussions on the subsequent choices that have been attempted to resolve with the use of stringent criteria such as Modified Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors.

Keywords

Hepatocellular carcinoma / cirrhosis / ultrasonography / magnetic resonance imaging / multidetector computed tomography / Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System / Modified Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors

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