Advancing Multidisciplinary and Personalized Approaches in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents the most prevalent form of primary liver cancer, posing significant challenges due to its complex pathogenesis and variable clinical presentation. While surgery remains a cornerstone of treatment, the landscape of HCC management has rapidly evolved to encompass a multidisciplinary, patient-specific approach. Contemporary research has highlighted the importance of integrating novel surgical strategies, such as software-assisted 3D liver reconstructions, and of expanding criteria beyond traditional frameworks, such as the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system. Additionally, advancements in interventional radiology, particularly through therapies like TARE, TACE, and other local-regional interventions, are reshaping treatment paradigms. The introduction of immunotherapeutic agents and the discovery of genetic mutations and biomarkers have further personalized care, yet gaps remain in translating these advances into robust, unified clinical pathways that improve patient outcomes.

This Research Topic aims to explore how recent innovations, from advanced surgical techniques to the application of next-generation biomarkers, can be strategically combined to optimize HCC management. By uniting translational and clinical perspectives, the goal is to define the state-of-the-art in HCC treatment, address unresolved clinical questions, and propose future avenues for both research and practice. Key objectives include identifying the most promising combinational therapies, understanding how best to integrate multidisciplinary expertise, and evaluating the translational potential of new scientific discoveries into actionable treatment protocols.

The scope of this Research Topic is dedicated to studies that elucidate the linkage between research advancements and actual clinical application in HCC care, with an emphasis on collaborative, multidisciplinary approaches. Submissions should focus on innovative strategies and their practical implementation while remaining within the context of patient-centered hepatocellular carcinoma management. We welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- Synergizing surgery and systemic therapy in HCC.

- Interventional radiology and oncology: new paradigms in locoregional HCC control.

- Optimizing multidisciplinary protocols for HCC management and treatment.

- Next-generation biomarkers for HCC immunotherapy.

- Exploring the landscape of combinatorial therapies in refractory HCC.

- Integrated care models in HCC in the era of personalized medicine.


*Drs. Guo and Porcu have both claimed they have no conflict of interest with this Research Topic.


Please note that manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases that are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of the scope of this Research Topic.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma, Liver cancer, Hepatobiliary surgery, Oncology, Interventional Radiology

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.