Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer, arising from hepatocytes, the main functional cells of the liver. It carries a heavy burden across East and Southeast Asia, where chronic hepatitis B infection and cirrhosis are widespread; countries including China, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and the Philippines account for a large share of global HCC cases.
Medicine used to treat Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Systemic treatment for advanced HCC
When HCC is detected at an early stage, surgery, ablation, or liver transplantation can offer a curative path. For disease that has spread or cannot be resected, systemic therapy becomes the main option. Sorafenib is an oral multikinase inhibitor that was the first systemic agent to demonstrate a meaningful survival benefit in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. It works by blocking tumour cell growth signals and the blood-vessel formation tumours depend on. It sits within the broader oncology support range and is typically used when local treatments are no longer appropriate.
Anyone experiencing new upper abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss, jaundice, or a swollen abdomen should seek prompt medical evaluation, as HCC often presents late and early diagnosis meaningfully improves the range of available options.