Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common fatal malignan cies of mankind. Up to a few decades ago it was looked upon as a cancer which aroused mainly academic concern but relatively little clinical interest, because its therapy and prognosis had a most un favorable outlook. Indeed, it was mostly recognized only at autopsy. Recently this pessimism has radically changed and is disappearing to a rapidly accelerating degree. Many of the scientific contributions at this change in outlook are the result of research in the Far East, first, Japan and then gradually extending to its...