1Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
2Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
© 2025 The Korean Liver Cancer Association.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Ethics Statement
This review article is fully based on articles which have already been published and did not involve additional patient participants. Therefore, IRB approval is not necessary.
Funding Statement
None.
Data Availability
Not applicable.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization: SJY
Formal analysis: HS
Investigation: HS
Supervision: SJY
Writing - original draft: HS
Writing - review & editing: SJY
HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; KLCA-NCC, Korean Liver Cancer Association-National Cancer Center of Korea; JSH, Japan Society of Hepatology; TLCA, Taiwan Liver Cancer Association; AFP, α-Fetoprotein; TACE, transarterial chemoembolization; APASL, Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver; APPLE, Asia-Pacific Primary Liver Cancer Expert; BSG, British Society of Gastroenterology; CHB, chronic hepatitis B; BCLC, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer; EASL, European Association for the Study of the Liver; ESMO, European Society for Medical Oncology; AASLD, American Association for the Study of Liver Disease; LT, liver transplantation; NCCN, National Comprehensive Cancer Network; ASCO, American Society of Clinical Oncology; AGA, American Gastroenterological Association.
KLCA-NCC, Korean Liver Cancer Association-National Cancer Center of Korea; CHB, chronic hepatitis B; CHC, chronic hepatitis C; US, ultrasonography; AFP, α-fetoprotein; CT, computed tomography; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; mUICC, modified International Union for Cancer Control; BCLC, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer; AJCC, American Joint Committee on Cancer; JSH, Japan Society of Hepatology; AFP-L3%, lens culinaris lectin-binding subfraction of AFP; PIVKA-II, protein induced by vitamin K absence/antagonist-II; TLCA, Taiwan Liver Cancer Association; HKLC, Hong Kong Liver Cancer; APASL, Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; APPLE, Asia-Pacific Primary Liver Cancer Expert; BSG, British Society of Gastroenterology; PAGE-B, patient's age, gender, and platelets; EASL, European Association for the Study of the Liver; ESMO, European Society for Medical Oncology; AASLD, American Association for the Study of Liver Disease; NCCN, National Comprehensive Cancer Network; ASCO, American Society of Clinical Oncology; AGA, American Gastroenterological Association.
Region | Organization | Guideline | Publishing year | Distinctive feature |
---|---|---|---|---|
Asia | KLCA-NCC | 2022 KLCA-NCC Korea practice guidelines for the management of hepatocellular carcinoma | 2023 | Comprehensive overview from prevention to palliative treatment |
Utilization of resection and combination of locoregional treatments in advanced-stage HCC | ||||
JSH | Management of hepatocellular carcinoma in Japan: JSH consensus statements and recommendations 2021 update | 2021 | Defines the extremely high-risk group and proposes a surveillance strategy | |
Clinical practice guidelines for hepatocellular carcinoma: The Japan Society of Hepatology 2021 version (5th JSH‐HCC guidelines) | 2023 | Presents concise algorithms for surveillance, diagnosis, and treatment | ||
TLCA | Management consensus guidelines for hepatocellular carcinoma: 2023 update on surveillance, diagnosis, systemic treatment and posttreatment monitoring by the TLCA and the Gastroenterological Society of Taiwan | 2024 | Utilization of biomarkers other than AFP in the surveillance setting | |
Suggests systemic therapy for patients with TACE refractoriness or unsuitability | ||||
APASL | Asia-Pacific clinical practice guidelines on the management of hepatocellular carcinoma: a 2017 update | 2017 | Recently updated guidelines for systemic therapy Includes etiologies from across the Asia region | |
APASL clinical practice guidelines on systemic therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma-2024 | 2024 | Diagnosis and surveillance explained according to imaging modalities | ||
APPLE | A changing paradigm for the treatment of intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma: APPLE consensus statements | 2020 | Focus on the treatment of intermediate-stage HCC and TACE-unsuitable cases | |
Europe | BSG | British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines for the management of hepatocellular carcinoma in adults | 2024 | Adopts risk stratification scores for surveillance of CHB patients |
Includes the most recent first-line systemic therapies | ||||
BCLC | BCLC strategy for prognosis prediction and treatment recommendation: the 2022 update | 2022 | Focus on staging and treatment allocation | |
Presents clinical decision-making as a key process | ||||
EASL | EASL clinical practice guidelines: management of hepatocellular carcinoma | 2018 | Comprehensive overview from prevention to palliative treatment | |
ESMO | Hepatocellular carcinoma: ESMO clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up | 2018 | Mostly based on the modified BCLC staging system | |
Updated treatment recommendations for hepatocellular carcinoma from the ESMO clinical practice guidelines | 2021 | Proposes the concept of treatment stage migration | ||
USA | AASLD | AASLD practice guidance on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma | 2023 | Presents algorithms for each treatment according to staging |
Utilization of downstaging criteria for LT | ||||
Broad application of treatments for early-stage HCC | ||||
NCCN | NCCN clinical practice guidelines in oncology (NCCN guidelines®) hepatocellular carcinoma (version 4, 2024) | 2024 | Does not present the quality of evidence or strength of recommendation | |
Does not follow a specific staging system | ||||
ASCO | Systemic therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: ASCO guideline update | 2024 | Focus on systemic therapy | |
AGA | AGA clinical practice guideline on systemic therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma | 2022 | Focus on systemic therapy |
Region | Guideline | Surveillance |
Interval (months) | Staging | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Target population | Test | |||||
Asia | KLCA-NCC | CHB or CHC or cirrhosis | US plus AFP | 6 | mUICC staging system is primary, with BCLC and AJCC/UICC staging systems as complementary | |
CT or MRI (inadequate US) | ||||||
JSH | High-risk | CHB or CHC or non-viral cirrhosis | US plus | 6 | Staging is not elaborated in detail | |
AFP or AFP-L3% or PIVKA-II | ||||||
Extremely high-risk | Cirrhosis with CHB or Cirrhosis with CHC | US plus | 3-4 | Treatment algorithm based on liver function, extrahepatic metastasis, vascular invasion, tumor number, and tumor size is presented | ||
AFP or AFP-L3% or PIVKA-II | ||||||
CT or MRI (optional) | 6-12 | |||||
TLCA | High-risk | CHB or CHC or cirrhosis | US plus | 6 | Staging is not elaborated in detail | |
AFP and/or PIVKA-II | ||||||
Extremely high-risk | Cirrhosis with CHB or Cirrhosis with CHC | CT or MRI (optional) | 6-12 | Treatment algorithm based on JSH and HKLC, considering extrahepatic metastasis, liver function, vascular invasion, tumor number, and tumor size, is presented | ||
Inadequate US in high-risk group | ||||||
APASL | Cirrhosis or CHB with Asian females >50 years or Asian males >40 years or Africans >20 years or family history of HCC | US plus AFP | 6 | Staging is not elaborated in detail | ||
Treatment algorithm based on JSH and HKLC, incorporating extrahepatic metastasis, liver function, resectability, vascular invasion, tumor number, and tumor size, is presented | ||||||
APPLE | - | - | - | - | ||
Europe | BSG | Cirrhosis or CHB with Asian females >50 years or Asian males >40 years or Africans >20 years or family history of HCC or PAGE-B >10 | US plus AFP | 6 | BCLC staging system | |
EASL | Cirrhosis with Child-Pugh A and B or Child-Pugh C transplant candidate or CHB with PAGE-B ≥10 or non-cirrhotic F3 | US | 6 | BCLC staging system | ||
ESMO | Cirrhosis with preserved liver function and manageable comorbidities or CHB with DNA >10,000 copies/mL or CHC with F3 | US±AFP | 6 | BCLC staging system | ||
BCLC | - | - | - | - | ||
USA | AASLD | Cirrhosis with Child-Pugh A and B or Child-Pugh C transplant candidate or CHB with females from endemic country >50 years or males endemic country >40 years or from Africa at earlier age or family history of HCC or PAGE-B ≥10 | US plus AFP | 6 | BCLC staging system | |
NCCN | Cirrhosis with Child-Pugh A and B or Child-Pugh C transplant candidate or CHB | US plus AFP | 6 | No specific staging system is recommended | ||
AJCC and BCLC staging systems are introduced | ||||||
ASCO | - | - | - | - | ||
AGA | - | - | - | - |
HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; KLCA-NCC, Korean Liver Cancer Association-National Cancer Center of Korea; JSH, Japan Society of Hepatology; TLCA, Taiwan Liver Cancer Association; AFP, α-Fetoprotein; TACE, transarterial chemoembolization; APASL, Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver; APPLE, Asia-Pacific Primary Liver Cancer Expert; BSG, British Society of Gastroenterology; CHB, chronic hepatitis B; BCLC, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer; EASL, European Association for the Study of the Liver; ESMO, European Society for Medical Oncology; AASLD, American Association for the Study of Liver Disease; LT, liver transplantation; NCCN, National Comprehensive Cancer Network; ASCO, American Society of Clinical Oncology; AGA, American Gastroenterological Association.
KLCA-NCC, Korean Liver Cancer Association-National Cancer Center of Korea; CHB, chronic hepatitis B; CHC, chronic hepatitis C; US, ultrasonography; AFP, α-fetoprotein; CT, computed tomography; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; mUICC, modified International Union for Cancer Control; BCLC, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer; AJCC, American Joint Committee on Cancer; JSH, Japan Society of Hepatology; AFP-L3%, lens culinaris lectin-binding subfraction of AFP; PIVKA-II, protein induced by vitamin K absence/antagonist-II; TLCA, Taiwan Liver Cancer Association; HKLC, Hong Kong Liver Cancer; APASL, Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; APPLE, Asia-Pacific Primary Liver Cancer Expert; BSG, British Society of Gastroenterology; PAGE-B, patient's age, gender, and platelets; EASL, European Association for the Study of the Liver; ESMO, European Society for Medical Oncology; AASLD, American Association for the Study of Liver Disease; NCCN, National Comprehensive Cancer Network; ASCO, American Society of Clinical Oncology; AGA, American Gastroenterological Association.