1 INTRODUCTION On a global scale, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) stands at the fifth position in terms of cancer incidence and holds the third position for cancer-related mortality.1, 2 Although there have been notable advancements in treatments such as surgery, radiofrequency ablation, transarterial chemoembolization, targeted therapy and emerging immunotherapies, there is still potential for improving the survival rates of HCC patients.3-5 Therefore, there is an urgent demand for a novel...
