Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Methods of Circulating Tumor Cells (CTC) Measurements

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in cirrhosis and also accounts for between 85% and 90% of primary liver cancer (Caldwell & Park 2009; Hussain & El-Serag 2009; Tandon & Garcia-Tsao 2009). Most of HCC in the world occur in the setting of cirrhosis and over half-million of people develop liver cancer every year and an almost equal number die of it (Caldwell & Park 2009; Hussain & El-Serag 2009). Liver cancer prognosis is determined by factors related to the tumor (etiologies) and factors related to the cirrhosis i.e. parameters of liver dysfunction (CLIP 1998; Llovet et al., 1999; Okuda et al., 1985; Tandon & Garcia-Tsao 2009). During the last 30 years the HCC-incidence rate increased dramatically, despite the development of the HBV-vaccine and the program for newborn vaccination against HBV, developed in European and Asian countries (El-Serag et al., 2003; Hussain & El-Serag 2009).