BCLC strategy for prognosis prediction and treatment recommendation: The 2022 update
A newer version of this guideline has been published: BCLC strategy for prognosis prediction and treatment recommendations: The 2026 update (2026)
- Study type
- Clinical guideline
- Study name
- BCLC 2022
- Design
- Clinical guideline update (BCLC prognosis and treatment strategy) for hepatocellular carcinoma
- Source
- Journal of Hepatology · 2022
In plain words
BCLC is a well-known framework that doctors use to judge how advanced a liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) is and to suggest the right treatment. This paper updates the framework after the treatment advances of recent years. The authors stress that treatment should be chosen for each patient individually, taking all of their circumstances into account and with input from specialists.
Study population
Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The abstract reports no specific inclusion criteria, as this paper is an update of a clinical strategy rather than a trial.
Endpoints
This paper is not a trial and has no defined endpoint. Its aim is to update the BCLC strategy for prognosis prediction and treatment recommendation in HCC, focusing on the advances that have led to changes in the strategy.
Safety and side effects
The abstract reports no data on adverse events.
Clinical significance and place in guidelines
According to the abstract, this 2022 update revises the BCLC strategy in the areas where recent advances have changed it. Some promising interventions have not yet entered the evidence-based model because the data are immature. The abstract emphasises personalised decision-making for each patient. Details of the changes and their endorsement in other guidelines should be checked in the full paper and in current guidelines.
Limitations
The abstract notes that the data for some selected interventions are still too immature to be included in an evidence-based model. The abstract does not give the details of the recommendations or the levels of evidence; the full paper must be consulted for these.
This summary was prepared by the editorial team from the published paper; the original paper is the final reference. Read the original abstract on PubMed.