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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer-related death worldwide. This disease can be treated through several surgical and nonsurgical approaches. Although the only curative options for patients with HCC are surgical (resection or transplantation), most patients unfortunately present with advanced neoplastic disease or experience the effects of chronic liver disease, making surgical resection implausible. Several additional options are available for treating this population. Ablative therapies such as percutaneous ethanol injection, cryotherapy, radiofrequency ablation, laser ablation, and microwave hyperthermic ablation can be used with varying degrees of success. Transarterial chemoembolization can be used in patients with advanced disease or advanced chronic liver disease that cannot be treated with resection or ablation. This article explores the various liver-directed therapies, including surgical resection, and defines morbidity, mortality, and survival for each.

Hepatobiliary cancers include a spectrum of invasive carcinomas arising in the liver (hepatocellular carcinoma), gall bladder, and bile ducts (cholangiocarcinomas). Gallbladder cancer and cholangiocarcinomas are collectively known as biliary tract cancers. Gallbladder cancer is the most common and aggressive type of all the biliary tract cancers. Cholangiocarcinomas are diagnosed throughout the biliary tree and are typically classified as either intrahepatic or extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Extrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas are more common than intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas. This manuscript focuses on the clinical management of patients with gallbladder cancer and cholangiocarcinomas (intrahepatic and extrahepatic).