Liver cancer represents a global health burden due to its high incidence and is a leading cause of cancer deaths, causing more than 700,000 deaths each year around the world. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer, which also includes intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, angiosarcoma and hemangiosarcoma, and hepatoblastoma.

With the development of novel detection technologies in recent years, our understanding of the molecular pathology and genetic changes of liver cancer has improved. A series of somatic driver mutations, such as TERT, TP53, CTNNB1, ARID1A, AXIN1, and several major aberrant pathways, including telomere maintenance, the TP53/cell cycle, WNT/β-catenin, and the KEAP1-NRF2 pathway have been identified. Single cell sequencing has given us a chance to explore the tumor microenvironment and particularly the immune system in the pathogenesis of liver cancer. It provides clinical physicians with useful diagnostic and prognostic markers based on these genetic mutations or miRNAs for the effective management of patients with liver cancer. Hepatic resection and liver transplantation have been the primary treatments for patients with HCC. Due to the complex pathological features of this cancer, finding and diagnosing HCC at a very early stage is always challenging, and patients with HCC often lose the opportunity to avoid malignant progression. Therefore, developing novel therapies is vital for HCC patients, especially for those with advanced liver cancer. Currently, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and target therapies, including tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and monoclonal antibodies, have been changing the use of conventional therapies for this cancer. However, only some patients demonstrate improved clinical outcomes, suggesting that additional studies are urgently required to evaluate these therapies and explore the underlying molecular mechanisms.

We invite researchers, scientists, and physicians to submit research articles, reviews, and clinical studies on the topics highlighted in this Special Issue, providing new insights into liver cancer research and treatment.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Effective biomarkers used for diagnosis
• Advances in the management of liver cancer patients
• New perspectives on liver cancer development
• Advances in surgical treatment for liver cancer
• Advances in local therapies for liver cancer
• Advances in tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment and underlying mechanisms
• Advances in immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment and underlying mechanisms
• Advances in combination therapy for liver cancer
• Potential biomarkers used for the prediction of the effectiveness of systemic therapies