Strategies for discovering novel hepatocellular carcinoma biomarkers

Figure 1 The critical need for novel biomarkers in hepatocellular carcinoma. It can take a period of time for a tumor to evolve from its initial stages to metastasis stage. As the disease advances, the likelihood of survival decreases significantly, especially once the cancer has reached later stages. The poor prognosis associated with hepatocellular carcinoma is largely due to the limited diagnostic capability of existing biomarkers, which often leads to diagnosis at a stage where the tumor has already gained metastatic potential. Consequently, there is a pressing need for new biomarkers that can detect hepatocellular carcinoma in its early stages, thereby enhancing the chances of patient survival.