For Patients
Liver Cancer News
If you need help deciphering some of the medical terminology, we recommend Mondofacto's Online Medical Dictionary. For the complete article, click on the title.
New Therapies Increase Survival Rates in Post-Transplant Liver Cancer Patients
25 March 2010
A recent study found that sirolimus-based immunosuppression following liver transplantation in patients with non-resectable HCC significantly increases survival rates for this patient population. Researchers evaluated 2,491 adult recipients of isolated liver transplantation for HCC. In a multivariate analysis, only anti-CD25 antibody induction and sirolimus-based maintenance therapy were associated with improved survivals after transplantation for HCC.
24 March 2010
Genetic polymorphism has been reported to be a factor increasing the risk of HCC. Phase II enzymes such as glutathione s-transferases (GSTP1, GSTA1) play important roles in protecting cells against damage induced by carcinogens. The aim of this study was to estimate the relationship of the GSTP1 and GSTA1 gene polymorphisms to HCC risk and clinico-pathological status. No association between the GSTA1 gene polymorphism and HCC susceptibility was found.
SIR: Combo of Embolization and Bevacizumab Safe
19 March 2010
Researchers found that giving bevacizumab (Avastin) concurrently with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is reasonably well tolerated and appears to be effective in patients with inoperable HCC. About 58% of patients had grade 3 or 4 toxicity, and median survival was 13.5 months. The combination has been investigated in other trials, and a phase III study is currently enrolling patients. Researchers have explored the combination because there has been evidence that TACE stimulates angiogenic activity, a physiological process involving the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing vessels.
Liver Cancer Treatment Shows Promise
17 March 2010
A new interventional radiology treatment combines the radioactive isotope Y-90 with microspheres to deliver radiation to tumors, while sparing healthy cells. Each microsphere is about the five red blood cells in width. They are delivered to the tumor through a catheter in the groin that is threaded into the artery supplying it.
In a study of 291 patients, most benefitted from the Y-90 treatment. It took a median of 7.9 months for the tumors to regrow after treatment, and some patients survived more than 20 months, which researchers say are very promising numbers.
16 March 2010
Patients treated with locorefional chemotherapy or radiotherapy for HCC, assessment of changes to the largest tumor targeted in the first round of treatment, the “primary index lesion” is a useful biomarker of response to treatment. The three most commonly used treatment response guidelines are Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), World Health Organization (WHO), and European Association for Study of the Liver (EASL). A study of 245 HCC patients and 1,065 scans of the primary index lesion were analyzed. There was a high degree of concurrence in classification of treatment response between the WHO and RECIST guidelines, the investigators found. However, both sets of guidelines had a low correlation with the EASL guidelines.
16 March 2010
BioSphere, Medical, a medical device company that develops and manufactures minimally invasive treatments of tumors, announced that its doxorubicin delivery embolotherapy microspheres HepaSphere(TM) were featured in a scientific session on the advances in minimally invasive treatments for liver cancer. Dr. Maleux, an interventional radiologist at the University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium presented a study, which demonstrated the safety of HepaSphere(TM) drug delivery chemoembolization (hqTACE). Patients treated with HepaSphere(TM), compared to patients who received conventional transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE), had lower circulating levels of doxorubicin, which significantly reduced drug toxicity and serious side effects. The hqTACE patients also had better preserved liver function.
The Ap-1 Repressor Protein JDP2, Potentiates Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Mice
9 March 2010
The AP-1 transcription factor plays a major role in cell proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation and developmental processes. AP-1 proteins are primarily considered to be oncogenic, or capable of the process of malignant transformation JDP2-transgenic mice display normal liver function. JDP2-transgenic mice displayed potentiation of liver cancer, higher mortality and increased number and size of tumors. The expression of JDP2 at the promotion stage was found to be the most critical for enhancing liver cancer severity.
Liver Transplant Recommendations Revised
8 March 2010
A national gathering of 180 transplant experts reached a consensus that priority scores for transplantation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma should rank candidates based on the Model for End stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, alpha-fetoprotein level, tumor size, and rate of tumor growth, according to Elizabeth A. Pomfret, MD, of the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Mass., and colleagues. The Milan criteria for hepatocellular carcinoma, one nodule ≤5 cm or two to three nodules each <3 cm has generally been considered an acceptable risk of recurrence after transplantation.
Diffusion-Weighted MR Looks to Add New Biomarker for Oncologic Imaging
5 March 2010
Medical research developments over recent years have allowed researchers to explore water molecule motion between cells using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to indirectly measure cellular density within a tissue. This has provided a new and continuously evolving tool in oncologic imaging for lesion detection, characterization, and therapy assessment. Current problems in DWI technology, such as low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and limited spatial resolution, are likely to be overcome in part through the more widespread use of higher magnetic field strengths, such as 3T.
Post-Op Liver Cancer Complication More Frequent at Low-Volume Hospitals
5 March 2010
The frequency of post-operative complications following surgery for liver cancer is associated with a hospital having a low volume of liver surgery. A recent survey analyzed 9,289 cases between 1998 and 2007 of patients who underwent surgical removal of a portion of their liver. Results showed that more patients at low-volume hospitals experienced complications such as hemorrhaging, sepsis, and lung problems. Also, a patient was 1.4 times more likely to die having a procedure done at a low-volume hospital as compared to a high-volume one.
Transgene Bio Files Patents for Liver & Breast Cancer Drugs
3 March 2010
Transgene BioTek has filed two patients for its cancer drug technologies based on its RNAi platform. The liver cancer drug showed excellent results from the latest animal studies. The technology expressed specific microRNA that silence particular metastisis-promoting gene in liver cancer cells. It uses an Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector system. AAV is small virus that can infect humans and some primates and make it a good candidate for gene therapy.
2 March 2010
Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is an autosomal recessive disorder mainly associated with homozygosity for the C282Y and H63D mutations in the hemochromatosis (HFE) gene. To clarify the relationship between C282Y and H63D mutations and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a meta-analysis including nine studies (1102 HCC cases and 3766 controls) was performed. Meta-analysis of nine studies with all controls showed that Y allele of C282Y was associated with HCC risk. H63D mutation did not show evidence of the association with HCC.
Electrocuting Liver Cancer Tumors Away
1 March 2010
A well-known treatment for liver cancer called ablation may have just gotten better. Ablation involves destroying a tumor without removing it, so it is typically used on patients with a few small tumors that cannot be removed with surgery. A new type of ablation is based on a technique called electrophoresis, which involves using electrical energy to alter cell membranes and allow chemotherapy drugs to enter more freely. The technique used in the past to deliver chemotherapy is called reversible electrophoresis. It allowed the cell membranes to close up again. In a new treatment called irreversible electrophoresis, interventional radiologists use a higher voltage to cause permanent damage to cancer cells. The radiologists place proves thru two or three millimeter incisions around a cancerous tumor and connects them to a generator. The generator is turned on and fires an electrical pulse that travels to the tumor cells.
Celsion Moving to Second Trials of Liver Cancer Drug
1 March 2010
Celsion Corp. is moving into the second phase of clinical trials for its drug to treat liver cancer. The Columbia biotechnology company said Monday that testing for ThermoDox will begin in at least three medical research centers throughout the world, including New York’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine, during the second half of this year. The trials will further study the impacts of ThermoDox when combined with a radiofrequency treatment on liver cancer and tumors, Michael Tardugno, Celsion’s CEO, said in a statement. “The safety experience and dose response relationship we witnessed in the Phase I study was evident in both primary and metastic tumors,” he said. “Building upon this data, we have made the decision to pursue a randomized Phase II study.”
More Reliable Biomarkers Needed for Early Detection of Liver Cancer
25 February 2010
Two biomarkers used to complement ultrasound in the early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma, or liver cancer, are not ideal, according to Anna S. Lok, M.D., professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School. The study analyzed the use of des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) and the most widely used biomarker, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Biomarkers are found in patient’s blood and are used to indicate whether a disease or condition is present. DCP was not superior to AFP in the early detection of HCC in patients with advanced hepatitis C and neither AFP alone, DCP alone, nor the combination of AFP and DCP was sufficiently accurate to be used for HCC surveillance.
24 February 2010
To complete a more thorough search for potential biomarkers for HCC invasion and metastasis, a proteomic approach was applied, where they look particularly at a protein’s structure and function. Membrane proteins were extracted from MHCC97L and HCCLM9 cells and compared by SDS-PAGE analyses. A total of 14 differentially expressed proteins were identified by ESI-MS/MS. Coronin-1C, a promising candidate, was found to be overexpressed in HCCLM9 cells.
Delcath Readies Pivotal Trial Results
23 February 2010
Top-line data from a phase III study of Delcath's Percutaneous Hepatic Perfusion (PHP) system will be announced in April, according to CEO Eamonn Hobbs. Positive results will lead quickly to an approval filing with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. PHP is a system that lets doctors isolate the liver from the rest of the blood supply, allowing tumors in the liver to be treated with very high doses of chemotherapy without causing significant toxicity in the rest of the body. Delcath's current phase III study enrolled patients with melanoma (skin cancer) that spread or metastasized to the liver. The primary endpoint is hepatic progression-free survival. Delcath designed the study assuming that PHP could reduce the risk of tumor progression or death by about 50% compared to best alternative care. Expectations are that the phase III PHP study will be a success.
Brave Barnoldswick Girl Loses Fight for Life
20 February 2010
Schoolgirl cancer victim Chloe Oldfield was determined to prove doctors wrong when they said she might have just six months to live. The three-year fight finally came to an end. Her parents, Catherine and Philip, were at her bedside at the family home when she died at the age of 16. Chloe was diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma—an aggressive form of liver cancer—in March 2007 and underwent a 12-week course of intensive chemotherapy at The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital in Pendlebury.
16 February 2010
Karin and team investigated mice prone to develop HCC. The study showed that mice on a high fat diet developed more liver cancer. They also found that mice on a normal diet but carried a gene that made them obesity prone also developed more cancer.
10 February 2010
The DMC for the HEAT study is comprised of an independent group of medical and scientific experts who are responsible for reviewing and evaluating patient safety and efficacy data. The study design and statistical plan for the Phase III ThermoDox trial also incorporates a pre-planned interim efficacy analysis by the DMC. The study for primary liver cancer is enrolling 600 patients and is being conducted under a FDA Special Protocol Assessment. ThermoDox® is a proprietary heat-activated liposomal encapsulation of doxorubicin, an approved and frequently used oncology drug for the treatment of a wide range of cancers including breast cancer. ThermoDox® is administered intravenously delivering high concentrations of doxorubicin to be deposited preferentially in a targeted tumor.
MDS Nordion’s TheraSphere® for Unresectable Liver Cancer (HCC) Bow Covered by Two Large U.S.Insurers
5 February 2010
MDS Nordion, a global leader in providing products and services for medical imaging and radiotherapeutics, today announced that two of the largest health insurers in the United States have recently approved coverage of radioembolization to treat unresectable liver cancer, which includes the use of MDS Nordion's TheraSphere(R) treatment. The two insurance companies and their affiliates together serve more than one-quarter of Americans and do business in all 50 states. Radioembolization refers to a process by which small beads or microspheres, containing the radioactive element yttrium-90, are delivered directly to the tumor using the tumor's own blood supply. TheraSphere is one form of radioembolization. Another name for this type of treatment is selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT).
Singapore to Lead Three New Liver Cancer Trials
5 February 2010
The group, the Asia-Pacific Hepatocellular Carcinoma Trials Group, was set up in 1997 and involves institutes from 11 countries. Singapore's National Cancer Centre (NCC) is its secretariat, and the database of trial results will be managed by the Singapore Clinical Research Institute (SCRI). That latest trial treated 35 liver cancer sufferers, who were unsuitable for surgery, with a novel therapy of radioactive microspheres that target the tumors, and the liver cancer drug sorafenib.
Cancer Research Center of Hawaii Expands with Five New Researchers
1 February 2010
The University of Hawai‘i at Manoa’s Cancer Research Center of Hawai‘i has successfully recruited five noted cancer researchers to join its faculty. Three of the researchers—Drs. Clayton Chong, Naoky Tsai and Linda Wong—are well-known cancer specialists in Hawaii. Chong and Wong will join the Center as recipients of two federal ARRA grants that were awarded in December to fund “translational” research that spans the continuum from lab study to patient care. Two additional recruits come from the mainland: Wen-Ming Chu, MD, PhD, formerly of Brown University’s department of molecular microbiology and immunology; and Toshihiko Kawamori, MD, PhD, from the University of South Carolina’s department of pathology and laboratory medicine.
A Case of Laparoscopic Hepatectomy for Recurrent Hepatocellular Carcinoma
28 January 2010
The use of laparoscopy in hepatectomy, while technically demanding, reduces surgical invasiveness and stressfulness but still achieves complete resection with adequate margins. Compared with conventional hepatectomy, laparoscopic hepatectomy provides a better chance and situation for further surgery in the case of recurrence of HCC. The report also describes techniques of the operation and displays characteristic results of laparoscopic hepatectomy such as smaller wounds, less blood loss, less pain, less scars and adhesion, shorter postoperative hospital stay, and faster recovery.
26 January 2010
Aegera, a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel targeted therapies that address major unmet medical needs has begun a new study titled "A Phase 2, Open-Label Study of The X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis (XIAP) Antisense AEG35156 in Combination with Sorafenib in Patients With Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma" is being conducted in Hong Kong. AEG35156 targets XIAP; it is designed to lower the apoptotic threshold of cancer cells, enhancing their sensitivity to intrinsic death and chemotherapy, without harming healthy cells.
26 January 2010
Avo Artinyan, M.D., of City of Hope in Duarte, California, and colleagues examined the association between race and survival in 20,920 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 4,735 patients who underwent liver transplantation. The researchers found that survival improved over time regardless of race, ethnicity or income. After adjusting for various factors, survival in patients with HCC was worst for African-Americans.
Sorafenib did not Extend Time to Progression in Advanced HCC after Transarterial Chemoembolization
24 January 2010
Kiwamu Okita, MD, professor in the department of gastroenterology and hepatology with Shimonoseki Kohsei Hospital in Shimonoseki, Japan, presented the results and said further analysis leads investigators to believe sorafenib (Nexavar, Bayer) may yet have a role to play in the treatment of these patients. Median time to progression was 5.4 months in the sorafenib group compared with 3.7 months in the placebo group. In the sorafenib group, 41% of patients discontinued treatment due to adverse events.
21 January 2010
In the Phase I study, ThermoDox was assessed for safety, pharmacokinetics and tumor response in 12 liver cancer patients, including 3 with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Conclusions from the Phase I study provided support for Celsion's global Phase III trial in patients with HCC. ThermoDox in combination with hyperthermia has the potential to provide local tumor control and improve quality of life. ThermoDox is a proprietary, heat-activated liposomal encapsulation of doxorubicin, an approved and frequently used oncology drug for the treatment of a wide range of cancers. This delivery technology enables high concentrations of doxorubicin to be deposited preferentially in a targeted tumor.
Grp78 Promotes the Invasion of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
19 January 2010
Glucose regulated protein 78, or Grp78 is involved in the invasion and metastasis in many human cancers. The Grp78 and FAK expression levels in 44 patients with HCC were examined using immunohistochemistry. Grp78 was negatively correlated with tumor grading, but positively correlated with portal invasion and intra-hepatic invasion. Overexpression of Grp78 promoted the invasion of cancer cells and accelerated the process of cell spreading.
15 January 2010
Regulus Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines based on microRNAs. Regulus presented in vivo data demonstrating delivery of miR mimics and microRNA target repression in an orthotopic liver tumor mouse model. Using lipid nanoparticles developed by collaborators at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Regulus scientists demonstrated effective delivery of a miR-34a mimic to both the normal liver cells and human hepatocellular carcinoma cells growing as tumors within the liver. Within the tumors, scientists saw a similar down-regulation of messenger RNA targets. When with further analysis, they saw the down-regulated messenger RNAs for functional significance, it was discovered that several cell cycle progression and cellular division genes were over represented. This demonstrates the potential utility of a miR-34a mimic delivered by lipid nanoparticles for the treatment of liver cancer.
Natural Compound Blocks Hepatitis C Infection
6 January 2010
Researchers have identified two cellular proteins that are important factors in hepatitis C virus infection, a finding that may result in the approval of new and less toxic treatments for the disease, which can lead to liver cancer and cirrhosis. Samuel French, an assistant professor of pathology and senior author of the study, and his team found the two heat shock proteins (HSP) 40 and 70 that are involved in hepatitis C replication. They also showed the natural compound Quercetin, which inhibits the synthesis of these proteins, also significantly inhibits viral infection in tissue culture. A Phase I clinical trial will done at UCLA to determine safety and efficacy of Quercetin. French and his team used Quercetin in an attempt to block HSP 40 and 70, and found that the compound "reduced infectious particle production at non-toxic concentrations," according to the study.
4 January 2010
The genetic inactivation of tumor suppressor genes is considered a crucial event in the development and progression of tumors. Chromosome 8p, one of the regions most frequently involved in the loss of heterozygosity (LOH), is thought to be closely associated with HCC oncogenesis, progression, venous permeation, and metastasis of HCC. These findings suggest that one or more novel tumor suppressor genes reside in the loci implicated in these cases with allelic deletion. To screen tumor suppressor genes in HCC cells that are silenced by epigenetic modification, scientists tested all currently available 15 human HCC cell lines. Clustering of the gene-expression changes indicated that some common genes were markedly unregulated in these HCC cell lines following demethylating treatment, implying that the transcription of these genes was silenced by hypermethylation of CpG islands in their regulatory elements. Interestingly, 9 unregulated genes were mapped to chromosome 8p. Also, ANGPT2 was shown to be highly overexpressed in hypervascular HCCs, resulting in rapid tumor growth and hemorrhage in an animal model of HCC.
New Suppressor of Common Liver Cancer
1 January 2010
Ze-Guang Han and colleagues at the Chinese National Human Genome Centerat Shanghai People’s Republic of China have identifies SCARA5 as a candidate tumor suppressor gene in human HCC. Their study found SCARA5 resulted in genetic loss and epigenetic silencing, or influencing the behavior of a cell without directly affecting its DNA or other genetic machinery. Further analysis in HCC cells lines in vitro and after transplantation into mice matched with SCARA 5 being a tumor suppressor gene.
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