E-Book Overview
Nagy Habib and a team of clinical laboratorians and physicians describe the wide variety of powerful new laboratory methods currently being used for investigating and treating hepatocellular carcinoma. The book focuses on gene therapy approaches, including the use of such vectors as lipids, such viruses as adenovirus and baculovirus, and virus detection assessment using electron microscopy. It provides preclinical and clinical data on the killing of cancer cells using tumor-suppressor genes, antisense compounds to growth factors, immunotherapy (remove gene), or virus-directed enzyme prodrug therapy. Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Methods and Protocols offers experimental and clinical researchers a rich source of both basic science and clinical information on today's optimal use of gene therapy to treat and manage patients suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma.
E-Book Content
TM M E T H O D S I N M O L E C U L A R M E D I C I N E TM
Hepatocellular Carcinoma Methods and Protocols Edited by by Edited
Nagy A. Habib
Humana Press
HCC: The Clinical Problem
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1 Hepatocellular Carcinoma The Clinical Problem Valery Usatoff and Nagy A. Habib
1. Introduction Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies, responsible for over one million deaths annually world wide. The causal relationship between HCC and cirrhosis is clear, with the majority of cases of HCC occurring in patients with cirrhotic liver disease. Survival of untreated individuals is poor. At this stage, surgical resection provides the only chance of cure, but it is not suitable for the majority of patients in whom the tumor pathology or the underlying liver disease makes surgery hazardous. For most patients, nonsurgical treatment is the only option and this has led to the popularization of various regional and systemic modalities. Tumor stage