The future is now: beyond first line systemic therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major global health issue, being the 5th most prevalent and the 2nd most deadly cancer. Moreover, the incidence of HCC has shown a growing tendency in the recent years, the rate of newly diagnosed HCC patients increased by 75% from 1990 to 2015 (1). Projections that have been made assume that in the USA, by 2030 HCC will be the third leading cause of cancer, preceding breast, prostate and colorectal cancer (2,3). HCC is most commonly found in the elderly, with its peak incidence at about 70 years old, twice more frequent in men than women (4). Europe belongs to the lower incidence region, however, in the South the incidence is significantly higher (5)