Study progression of anti-angiogenetic therapy and its combination with other agents for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy worldwide and is especially prevalent in the Chinese population. Treatment of advanced HCC has posed a considerable challenge to clinicians and highly effective therapies remain elusive. Angiogenesis contributes greatly to the pathogenesis, invasion and metastasis of HCC. Therefore, anti-angiogenesis therapy could be instrumental to the treatment of HCC. In recent years, several anti-angiogenesis drugs have generated significant outcomes in a few key clinical studies, and in this light, anti-angiogenesis therapy has become a critical aspect of comprehensive treatment of HCC. In this article, to provide a reference for clinicians, we review these advances and discuss the future direction of development.