Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery: HCC treatment by stage: practice question

A General Surgery question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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General Surgery · Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery: HCC treatment by stage

Sample item

A cirrhotic Child-Pugh A patient without portal hypertension has a solitary 4 cm hepatocellular carcinoma without vascular invasion. Which treatment gives the best chance of cure according to BCLC staging?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Surgical resection (or transplantation within criteria)

BCLC early-stage HCC with preserved liver function is treated by resection, ablation or transplantation. TACE is for intermediate multinodular disease, systemic therapy for advanced disease with vascular invasion or metastasis, and best supportive care for end-stage.

Option by option

  • A. Surgical resection (or transplantation within criteria) (correct)

    Correct. Single tumour with good reserve is resected.

  • B. Sorafenib only

    Systemic therapy is for advanced stage.

  • C. Palliative care

    This patient is curable.

  • D. Transarterial chemoembolisation as sole therapy

    TACE is for intermediate multifocal disease.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More General Surgery questions

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is A, Surgical resection (or transplantation within criteria). BCLC early-stage HCC with preserved liver function is treated by resection, ablation or transplantation.

Why is "Sorafenib only" not the answer?

Systemic therapy is for advanced stage.

Why is "Palliative care" not the answer?

This patient is curable.

Why is "Transarterial chemoembolisation as sole therapy" not the answer?

TACE is for intermediate multifocal disease.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery: HCC treatment by stage in General Surgery. TACE is for intermediate multinodular disease, systemic therapy for advanced disease with vascular invasion or metastasis, and best supportive care for end-stage.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery: HCC treatment by stage?

Learn classic signs and eponyms alongside what they diagnose. Then use the flashcards and the other General Surgery questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.