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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon. Open AccessArticle by 1,†, 1,*,†, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1 and 1 1 Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Liver Transplant Surgery, Digestive Diseases and Surgery Institute, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA 2 Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Department of Hematology and Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

1. Introduction Liver cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Its incidence is estimated to rise to >1 million cases by 2025 [1]. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains the most common type of primary liver cancer, accounting for more than 90% of the cases [1]. Chronic infection with hepatitis B and C viruses dominates the etiology of HCC, followed by alcoholic cirrhosis [1].