Selection for Resection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Surgical Strategy: Indications for Resection, Evaluation of Liver Function, Portal Vein Embolization, and Resection

lization—Chemoembolization—Intraoperative ultrasonography—Radiofrequency ablation. Among the potentially curative treatment options for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), liver resection is widely considered the mainstay of curative therapy. An important aspect of the morbidity, mortality, and long-term outcome of liver resection for HCC relates to patient selection. Choice of treatment primarily depends on tumor stage and the functional status of the liver because most patients with HCC harbor chronic liver disease.1 For this reason, when com-pared with percutaneous ablation therapies or tran-sarterial chemoembolization (TACE), surgery has a higher risk as a result of removal of functioning liver parenchyma. Careful assessment of the clinical severity of cirrhosis and the liver functional reserve i