Foreword

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Hepatocellular cancer represents a unique neoplasm with close links to infection with hepatitis B and C. Currently the fifth most common malignancy world-wide, its incidence is rising significantly in association with increases in viral hepatitis. Treatment options are evolving rapidly and the roles of liver transplantation and newer molecular therapies continue to grow. In this issue of Current Problems in Surgery, Drs. Charles H. Cha, M. Wasif Saif, Brett H. Yamane, and Sharon M. Weber from the Department of Surgery at University of Wisconsin in Madison and Yale University School of Medicine have written a superb monograph detailing the management options for this tumor. They cover surgical therapy, including resection and transplantation; locoregional therapies, including ablation, radiotherapy, embolization, and hepatic artery chemotherapy; and systemic therapy, including both chemotherapy and newer targeted agents. This state-of-the-art discussion provides difficult to find information in a single source, and should become a needed resource for clinicians managing this devastating disease.