Drs. Chaiteerakij and Roberts summarize the current understanding of the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma and HCC tumor biology gained from recent studies using NGS technology to analyze HCC tumors. They also discuss potential strategies for harnessing this new information to improve therapy for patients with advanced HCC.

Acute variceal bleeding is a severe complication of portal hypertension and causes 70% of all upper gastrointestinal bleeding episodes in patients with liver cirrhosis. Drs. Reverter and García-Pagán address general management and hemostatic treatments, including vasoactive therapy, endoscopic therapy, and rescue therapies

Dr. Cabrera discusses the planned, ongoing, and

completed clinical trials for advanced HCC. A brief overview of recent failures and ongoing clinical studies with emerging molecular targeted agents along with future perspectives is covered.

Recent studies suggest that for optimum clinical outcomes, management of hepatocellular carcinoma necessitates the most reliable classification of tumors, including histopathologic evaluation. Dr. Brunt discusses current criteria, useful immunohistochemistry stains, and differential diagnostic considerations for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of primary liver cancer and is a major global health problem. Dr. Agarwal discusses risk factors, surveillance, and management strategies for the primary care provider.

Hepatitis B can lead to several severe clinical outcomes, including cirrhosis, hepatic decompensation, and hepatocellular carcinoma. While the establishment of a risk prediction tool for various clinical outcomes for patients with HBV is still in a preliminary phase, the use and refinement of these prediction tools may supply HBV patients with a comprehensive individualized management measure based on the risk perspectives. Drs. Yang and Chen explain.

Quantitative Hepatitis B Surface Antigen provides information concerning disease activity over and above an estimation of viral replication. It is an indispensable tool in the clinical assessment and management of chronic hepatitis B viral infection. Drs. Wong and Chan highlight what the clinician needs to know.

Drs. Villamil and Cairo review the best available evidence on managing the HBV patient who has received a solid organ transplantation. For liver transplant patients, the authors address whether there is a role for hepatitis B immunoglobulin, whether antiviral monotherapy sufficient, and how best to manage liver transplantations from antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) positive donors. In the kidney transplant patient, Drs. Villamil and Cairo discuss kidney transplant in HBsAg-positive patients, as well as kidney transplants from anti-HBc positive donors.

Drs. Vigano and Lampertico weigh in on the nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs)-pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) debate, addressing first line therapy selection, monitoring of the patient treated with NAs, and when if ever it is appropriate to stop treatment.

Tram Tran, MD, an Associate Professor of Medicine from Cedars Sinai Medical Center and a CLD author, discusses HBV treatment in a woman of reproductive age. Dr. Tran addresses HBV transmission risk in pregnancy, antiviral therapy in women of childbearing age and treatment in the third trimester, as well as introducing treatment algorithms for the management of HBV in women planning a pregnancy, with an unexpected pregnancy, and during pregnancy.