Pathology of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) used to be considered a major problem only for Asian and African countries but more recently there has been a huge increase in the incidence of HCC in Western countries. Due to the incidence of the disease, Japanese physicians and pathologists are the world leaders in research and experience. This book draws on the expertise of an internationally recognized author famed for his understanding, knowledge and efforts in defining terms and diagnosis in this area. Only 30 years ago there was very little interest in the study of the pathology of HCC due to the fact that most HCCs were detected in the advanced stages when patients were given a prognosis of only three to six months. In more recent years there have been enormous advances made in the clinical diagnosis of liver cancer, in particular through imaging and the establishment of follow-up systems in high-risk populations. This book covers the vast advances made in clinical diagnosis aiding earlier detection, while addressing the recent progress made in treatment of HCC to enable successful therapy. It reviews the full range of pathological information of HCC based on the study of surgical cases and biopsy materials, along with images, to help compare findings that may be encountered by pathologists. The developments in imaging have also led to the identification of equivocal small nodular lesions suggestive of premalignant lesions or early-stage HCC. These present a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for both pathologists and clinicians. This text makes special reference to developments in detection of early-stage HCC and premalignant lesions which can increase effective treatment.Kojiro, Masamichi is the author of 'Pathology of Hepatocellular Carcinoma', published 2006 under ISBN 9781405139083 and ISBN 1405139080.