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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 Oct 25.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2019 Aug 22;16(10):589–604. doi: 10.1038/s41575-019-0186-y

Fig. 3 |. Strategy for HCC treatment in countries with different resource levels.

Fig. 3 |

The optimal-treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) should be considered even in intermediate-resource or low-resource countries if the treatment option is available; however, not all forms of treatment are equally cost-effective and years-of-life-saving in every setting, regardless of their cost. For early-stage HCC, potentially curative treatment should be considered whereas locoregional treatment would be the first-line treatment for intermediate-stage HCC. However, these therapeutic modalities are resource-intensive and sorafenib could be considered as an alternative option in countries with limited resources. For advanced-stage HCC, targeted or immunotherapy should be considered regardless of resource level. Best supportive care should be provided in patients with terminal-stage HCC. TACE, transarterial chemoembolization; TAE, transarterial embolization; TARE, transarterial radioembolization.