According to a recent report from the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare, the mortality rate for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is more than 30 per 100000 pop ulation. In addition,epidemiologists predictan increase in this figure by the year 2015, because of the rather high incidence of chronic liver diseases caused by HCY. The same situation has been observed in other Asian countries. It seems that HCC is likely to be an endemic disease, because of the higher preva lence of chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis caused by HBV, HCV, and/or aflatoxins in Asian and African countries. We also note that an interesting paper appeared in a recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine describing the increase in younger HCC patients in the United States as compared with past decades. At present, silent hepatitis C infection is now smoldering in 4 million mostly unsuspecting Americans. Those carriers will be candidates for chronic liver disease, which is a pre disposing factor for the development of HCC. In Europe there are an estimated 5 million carriers. Accordingly, it is important to do all we can to reduce the prevalence of HCC not only in African and Asian countries, but also in the United States and Europe. With this perspective,last year the Japanese Society for Hepatology, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, initiated a national campaign to fight HCC.

In this book we provide insights into liver – cancer and immunology. Experts in the field provide an overview over fundamental immunological questions in liver cancer and tumorimmunology, which form the base for immune based approaches in HCC, which gain increasing interest in the community due to first promising results obtained in early clinical trials. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of cancer related death in the United States. Treatment options are limited. Viral hepatitis is one of the major risk factors for HCC, which represents a typical “inflammation-induced” cancer. Immune-based treatment approaches have revolutionized oncology in recent years. Various treatment strategies have received FDA approval including dendritic cell vaccination, for prostate cancer as well as immune checkpoint inhibition targeting the CTLA4 or the PD1/PDL1 axis in melanoma, lung, and kidney cancer. Additionally, cell based therapies (adoptive T cell therapy, CAR T cells and TCR transduced T cells) have demonstrated significant efficacy in patients with B cell malignancies and melanoma. Immune checkpoint inhibitors in particular have generated enormous excitement across the entire field of oncology, providing a significant benefit to a minority of patients.

The rising incidence of hepatocellular cancer (HCC) is a cause for concern in all parts of the world today. Epidemiologists predict that HCC will become endemic because of the large numbers of carriers of hepatitis viruses that lead to the chronic liver diseases, which, in turn, are predisposing factors for the development of HCC. The eradication of HCC thus becomes an urgent priority. Against this background, Progress in HCC Treatment was the focus of the Yamaguchi (Japan) Symposium held in December 1998. Japanese hepatologists, unsurpassed in the diagnosis and treatment of HCC, were joined by specialists from other parts of the world to exchange the latest information about HCC treatment. Topics included percutaneous ablation of HCC, ultrasonographic screening for early detection, surgical treatment, and prevention by fibrosuppression. The papers collected in this volume provide a wealth of information on HCC for hepatologists, physicians, and others in the field.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has emerged as an important innovative treatment for various primary and metastatic cancers. This book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date account of the physical/technological, biological, and clinical aspects of SBRT. It will serve as a detailed resource for this rapidly developing treatment modality. The organ sites covered include lung, liver, spine, pancreas, prostate, adrenal, head and neck, and female reproductive tract. Retrospective studies and prospective clinical trials on SBRT for various organ sites from around the world are examined, and toxicities and normal tissue constraints are discussed. This book features unique insights from world-renowned experts in SBRT from North America, Asia, and Europe. It will be necessary reading for radiation oncologists, radiation oncology residents and fellows, medical physicists, medical physics residents, medical oncologists, surgical oncologists, and cancer scientists.

Testing and diagnosis of hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) infection is the gateway for access to both prevention and treatment services, and is a crucial component of an effective response to the hepatitis epidemic. Early identification of persons with chronic HBV or HCV infection enables them to receive the necessary care and treatment to prevent or delay progression of liver disease. Testing also provides an opportunity to link people to interventions to reduce transmission, through counselling on risk behaviors and provision of prevention commodities (such as sterile needles and syringes) and hepatitis B vaccination. These are the first WHO guidelines on testing for chronic HBV and HCV infection and complement published guidance by WHO on the prevention, care and treatment of chronic hepatitis C and hepatitis B infection. These guidelines outline the public health approach to strengthening and expanding current testing practices for HBV and HCV, and are intended for use across age groups and populations.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the current limitations and unmet needs in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. It also provides newly emerging concepts, approaches, and technologies to address challenges. Topics covered include changing landscape of HCC etiologies in association with health disparities, framework of clinical management algorithm, new and experimental modalities of HCC diagnosis and prognostication, multidisciplinary treatment options including rapidly evolving molecular targeted therapies and immune therapies, multi-omics molecular characterization, and clinically relevant experimental models. The book is intended to assist collaboration between the diverse disciplines and facilitate forward and reverse translation between basic and clinical research by providing a comprehensive overview of relevant areas, covering epidemiological trend and population-level patient management strategies, new diagnostic and prognostic tools, recent advances in the standard care and novel therapeutic approaches, and new concepts in pathogenesis and experimental approaches and tools, by experts and opinion leaders in their respective fields. By thoroughly and concisely covering whole aspects of HCC care, Hepatocellular Carcinoma serves as a valuable reference for multidisciplinary readers, and promotes the development of personalized precision care strategies that lead to substantial improvement of disease burden and patient prognosis in HCC.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) currently ranks as the third most common cause of death. As the primary malignancy of the liver is directly related to an underlying liver condition, its incidence and profile are expected to change soon. While effective prevention programs and antiviral therapies for hepatitis B and C will lower the incidence of HCC, emerging socioeconomic issues will deliver new at-risk populations. Moreover, diagnostic techniques and protocols have undergone significant advancements. Reliance on contrast enhanced ultrasound has been re-evaluated, imaging methods being considered as sufficient diagnostic tools. Molecular characterization remains desirable, since chemotherapeutic agents still have limited applicability. In light of recent diagnostic advancements and novel therapeutic solutions, it is our belief that a comprehensive update on recent paradigm shifts and interesting upcoming developments is highly needed.