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Hepatocellular Carcinoma

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Functional Imaging in Oncology

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Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma can be diagnosed by CT or MR once the typical vascular pattern is depicted, avoiding the need of invasive procedures. However, biopsy is still required for the final diagnosis in a significant proportion of cases due to the limited sensitivity of the noninvasive diagnostic criteria, especially in small nodules. Initial results with the advent of liver-specific contrast agents and the introduction of diffusion-weighted imaging in liver protocols showed an improvement in the sensitivity of the magnetic resonance imaging for the diagnosis of HCC. However, currently there is limited information regarding their impact in assessing the HCC response to locoregional therapeutics.

After the introduction of new molecular therapeutics for advanced HCC, functional imaging techniques represent the main potential tool to detect tumor response in the light of the limitations of conventional RECIST, mRECIST, and EASL criteria.

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Abbreviations

AASLD:

American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases

ARFI:

Acoustic radiation force impulse imaging

CEUS:

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound

CT:

Computed tomography

DCE:

Dynamic contrast enhancement

DWI:

Diffusion-weighted imaging

EASL:

European Association for the Study of the Liver

HB:

Hepatobiliary

HCC:

Hepatocellular carcinoma

ICC:

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

SI:

Signal intensity

TACE:

Transarterial chemoembolization

US:

Ultrasound

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Abdominal Unit, Department of Radiology, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain

    Jordi Rimola MD, PhD & Carmen Ayuso MD, PhD

  2. Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) Group, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), University of Barcelona, c/Villarroel, 170. Escala 3, 1a Planta, 08036, Barcelona, Spain

    Jordi Rimola MD, PhD & Carmen Ayuso MD, PhD

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  1. Jordi Rimola MD, PhD
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  2. Carmen Ayuso MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Carmen Ayuso MD, PhD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Health Time Group, Jaén, Spain

    Antonio Luna

  2. Clinica Girona Hospital Sta. Caterina, Gerona, Spain

    Joan C. Vilanova

  3. CDPI and IRM, Botafongo - Rio de Janeiro/RJ, Brazil

    L. Celso Hygino Da Cruz Jr.

  4. Centro de Diagnóstico Dr. Enrique Rossi, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Santiago E. Rossi

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Rimola, J., Ayuso, C. (2014). Hepatocellular Carcinoma. In: Luna, A., Vilanova, J., Hygino Da Cruz Jr., L., Rossi, S. (eds) Functional Imaging in Oncology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40582-2_17

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