Liver Fibrosis, Liver Cancer, and Advances in Therapeutic Approaches

Abstract

Chronic liver diseases (CLDs) that lead to hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis, and/or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have become a major cause of illness and death worldwide. The main causative factors for CLDs are chronic viral infections, excessive alcohol consumption, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and cholestatic diseases. The primary approach to managing cirrhosis should be removing the causative agent, and the secondary approach should address fibrogenesis. Liver cancer is also a leading cause of death worldwide, and many therapeutic approaches exist to treat the disease. However, liver transplantation remains the last treatment option for cirrhosis and liver cancer. Thus, this review discusses the pathophysiology of liver fibrosis, its progression to cirrhosis and HCC, and current therapeutic options available to treat the diseases with potential therapeutic options that will be available in the near future.