Economic aspects of hepatocellular carcinoma treatment

Vlasova N.A., Eliseeva V.E., Apanasevich V.I., Startsev S.S.

1) Sakhalin Regional Clinical Oncology Dispensary, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia; 2) Pacific State Medical University, Vladivostok, Russia

This study examines the economic aspects of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) diagnosis and treatment in Russia and abroad. HCC is the most common primary liver cancer, requiring significant financial expenditures for diagnosis and treatment. The increasing incidence of HCC leads to an increased need for diagnosis and treatment. The aim of this study is to characterize the economic aspects of HCC diagnosis and treatment in Russia and abroad. To achieve this goal, scientific publications on the economic aspects of HCC diagnosis and treatment indexed in the eLibrary, Cyberleninka, PubMed, and Google Scholar electronic libraries, as well as clinical guidelines from the Russian Ministry of Health and the European Association for the Study of the Liver were reviewed. This article examines the economic aspects of various methods for diagnosing and treating HCC in Russia and abroad, including the cost of procedures, the availability of surgical and medical treatment, and the burden on the healthcare system. Particular attention is paid to the cost-effectiveness of preventive measures, such as hepatitis B vaccination and hepatitis C screening. A detailed analysis of the potential economic impact of the disease, the specifics of healthcare financing, and factors influencing the choice of diagnostic and therapeutic measures is provided. As the burden of HCC increases worldwide, concerted efforts to understand the comparative effectiveness of surveillance and treatment strategies are needed, and more comparative studies among patients with cirrhosis and all stages of HCC are required. Although survival remains the most important outcome, quality of life, costs, and ultimately value must be assessed in parallel when considering the clinical utility of interventions. Further research to identify ways to reduce this disparity is needed.

For citations: Vlasova N.A., Eliseeva V.E., Apanasevich V.I., Startsev S.S. Economic aspects of hepatocellular carcinoma treatment. Pharmateca. 2025;32(9):126-137. (In Russ.). DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18565/pharmateca.2025.9.126-137

Authors’ contribution: Concept and design of the study – Vlasova N.A., Apanasevich V.I., Eliseeva V.E., Startsev S.S. Collection and processing of material – Vlasova N.A., Apanasevich V.I., Eliseeva V.E. Text writing – Vlasova N.A. Editing – Eliseeva V.E., Startsev S.S.
Conflicts of interest: The authors confirm that they have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Funding: The study was conducted without any sponsorship.

Keywords

About the Authors

N.A. Vlasova, Oncologist, Sakhalin Regional Clinical Oncology Dispensary (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk); Postgraduate Student, Pacific State Medical University, Vladivostok, Russia; vlasovanad@list.ru, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9072-1842 (corresponding author)
E.V. Eliseeva, Dr. Sci. (Med.), Professor, Head of the Department of General and Clinical Pharmacology, Pacific State Medical University, Vladivostok, Russia; yeliseeff23@gmail.ru, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6126-1253
V.I. Apanasevich, Dr. Sci. (Med.), Professor, Institute of Surgery, Pacific State Medical University, Vladivostok, Russia; oncolog2222@mail.ru, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0808-5283
S.S. Startsev, Chief Physician, Sakhalin Regional Clinical Oncology Dispensary, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk; Pacific State Medical University, Vladivostok, Russia; sakhstar2010@mail.ru, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0749-0778

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