Radiofrequency ablation and stereotactic body radiotherapy as non-surgical options for hepatocellular carcinoma

HCC is the most common primary liver malignancy and carries a poor prognosis, with a 5-year survival less than 12%. In the United States, the incidence is increasing at an alarming rate, mostly due to the rise in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection; there has been more than a 3-fold increase in incidence between 1975 to 2007 (1). Globally, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second highest cancer-related cause of death, with approximately 600,000 deaths per annum (2).