Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the commonest primary cancer of the liver and is the third most frequent cause of cancer-related deaths in the world, with more than 660,000 deaths per annum. The major etiologic factors of HCC are hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus infection (HCV), and various other nonviral-related causes such as aflatoxins, alcohol intake, and other causes of liver cirrhosis, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. The prevalence of HCC in Europe and the United States is increasing and is currently the leading cause of death in patients with cirrhosis, possibly resulting from the transmission of HCV by intravenous drug abuse and a rising prevalence of obesity and diabetes. Surgery currently offers the only possibility of prolonged survival for HCC patients; however, here in Singapore and mostly elsewhere, almost 80% of those patients are inoperable at diagnosis and face a dismal prognosis with no proven survival-prolonging treatment modality available. The principal objective of our study is focused on translating research findings into improved clinical management for HCC. Using high-density gene profiling analysis, we have identified novel biomarkers in both HCC tissues and circulating peripheral blood (PBL) of HCC patients. These biomarkers were selected for subsequent genetic studies with the aim to decipher hepatocarcinogenesis and the possibilities to translate these biomarkers for the clinical management of patients with HCC.

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