Riccardo Lencioni, MD: Interventional radiology is now able to offer a broad spectrum of interventions for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, ranging from different tools for image-guided ablation with radiofrequency, microwaves, irreversible electroporation, and others. We can offer intraarterial therapy with chemoembolization or radioembolization, and we can combine different options to maximize the effect in individual patients. This is now supported by multiple studies, including randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses, and is part of the routine multidisciplinary management of patients with HCC in the referral centers.

I think 2018 is a special year because finally we understood lessons. We were able to work hard to truly bring more drugs, more agents, with a significant and meaningful effect to doctors treating hepatocellular carcinoma. I see this as the first step in this new chapter and definitely one of the next steps is to understand how to maximize the effect of these drugs by combining agents, for instance TKIs and immune checkpoint inhibitors, or different alternatives. And also, to understand the synergistic effect between interventional locoregional therapy and these novel systemically active agents.

Transcript Edited for Clarity