Research advances in molecular classification for precision diagnosis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a highly prevalent malignancy and one of the leading cause of cancer death in China, remains a major public health problem in the next decades. Owing to the tremendous achievements in early diagnosis, precision liver surgery, molecular targeted therapy and immunotherapy, we have witnessed significant improvements in the long-time survival of HCC patients, if properly treated. However, HCC is a highly heterogeneous disease. Even for patients within the same clinical stage, their clinical outcome and treatment efficacy vary significantly. Great efforts to improve the molecular classification of HCC patients are needed to foster precision medicine, paving the way for novel therapeutic strategies. Advances in multi-omics, single-cell analysis, molecular imaging and artificial intelligence will lead to better understanding of the molecular classification and refine precision treatment in HCC, ultimately excluding this neoplasm from the risk list of our Healthy China. Key words: Hepatic neoplasms; Molecular classification; Diagnosis; Treatment