Tumor-based biomarkers and circulating tumor DNA for precision medicine in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and remains a major cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Systemic therapies, including targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors, have revolutionized the management of advanced HCC. Although the prognosis of patients with advanced HCC remains poor, significant progress has been made with recent advances in drug development, particularly with the introduction of effective treatments such as atezolizumab plus bevacizumab or durvalumab plus tremelimumab. Indeed, treatment response varies significantly among patients, highlighting the need for robust biomarkers. In addition, the development of molecular driver-targeted therapies remains an active research focus as most genetic alterations observed in HCC are currently undruggable. Meeting these goals will require additional efforts to obtain histological material in clinical trials, in order to enable robust translational research. This review explores the current landscape of biomarkers of response to systemic treatments in HCC, including molecular, immune-based markers as well as circulating tumor DNA and highlights potential paths of improvement. (Clin Mol Hepatol 2026;32:69-90)