Guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of primary liver cancer (2011 edition)

Primary liver cancer (PLC) is one of the common malignant tumors. Due to its insidious onset, lack of symptoms (or nonspecific presenting symptoms) in its early stage, and quick progression, PLC usually has been in its locally advanced stage or develops distant metastasis when it is confirmed; as a result, the management becomes extremely difficult and the prognosis usually is poor. If only symptomatic treatment is applied, the natural survival can be extremely short. In fact, PLC remains a major lifethreatening disease in China.