Questionnaire survey of Japanese board-certified expert hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgeons and instructors on the surgical indications for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Recent advancements in systemic therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) necessitate the establishment of resectability criteria for advanced HCC.

Methods: A questionnaire survey sought to clarify the perspectives of Japanese expert hepatobiliary surgeons regarding surgical indications for HCC. Thirty-one questions were used to determine when surgery is strongly recommended (resectable: R) or not recommended (unresectable: UR).