| Theme |
Controversies Over Diagnosis and Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma |
| Title |
Indications for Tumor Biopsy in Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Other Nodular Lesions in the Liver |
| Author |
Fukuo Kondo |
Department of Pathology, Funabashi Central Hospital / Department of Pathology, Chiba University School of Medicine |
| Author |
Kazuki Kato |
Department of Pathology, Chiba University School of Medicine |
| Author |
Takashi Nikaido |
Department of Surgical Pathology, Chiba University Hospital |
| Author |
Hiroshi Ishikura |
Department of Pathology, Chiba University School of Medicine |
| Author |
Masaaki Ebara |
First Department of Internal Medicine, Chiba University School of Medicine |
| Author |
Hiromitsu Saisho |
First Department of Internal Medicine, Chiba University School of Medicine |
| [ Summary ] |
The indications for tumor biopsy in the liver can be broadly described as follows; (1) In cases of hepatitis virus carriers with clinical and imaging findings of typical hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), tumor biopsy is not necessarily needed. (2) In other cases, a biopsy is necessary. As the definitive diagnosis of HCC is not necessarily easy in practice, a biopsy is frequently performed. Careful consideration of the clinical data associated with the individual patient is very important in determining the indications for tumor biopsies. |