Research developments of adjuvant therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma after resection

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy with high rate of morbidity and mortality. Liver resection is the most effective curative treatment, yet subsequent recurrence and death are common, with 5-year overall survival rate remaining about 50% and 5-year postoperative recurrence reaching as high as 60%-70% reported by previous publications. Therefore, it is essential to identify the optimal adjuvant therapy for patients with unfavorable prognostic factors to decrease the postoperative recurrence or metastasis, thereby to deliver the promise of improved outcomes. However, there is no consensus about it and several treatment options were under investigation, including transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and other treatments. Here, we review studies on the role of adjuvant therapies, to provide evidences for further research and clinical practice. Key words: Liver neoplasms/surgery; Liver neoplasms/interventional therapy; Liver neoplasms/radiotherapy; Liver neoplasms/targeted therapy; Research progress