Leonardo Stella

Concurrent treatment of HCV during systemic therapy is not only safe and associated with a reduced risk of liver decompensation, but also improves oncologic outcomes, including delayed tumour progression and prolonged overall survival. These findings support the integration of antiviral therapy into the comprehensive hepato-oncological management of patients with HCC, particularly when downstaging or conversion strategies are considered.

1. Introduction Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for nearly 90% of primary liver cancers and is an important cause of morbidity and mortality, as well as a leading cause of death worldwide [1]. In 2020, an estimated 905,700 people were diagnosed with liver cancer and 830,200 died, globally [2,3]. The majority of HCCs are associated with a known underlying etiology.

1 INTRODUCTION In this paper, we take inspiration from a biologically-inspired model, where a swarm of honeybees carries out the nest-site selection process. The aim of this process is to reach consensus on one of two available options.1-4 In the traditional formulation of the model, it is assumed that the two options have equal value in order to show the effectiveness of the cross-inhibitory signalling used by honeybees to reach consensus.