2018 Liver Cancer News
Oncimmune Holdings has entered into an agreement with America’s Choice Provider Network (ACPN) to expand access to simple and affordable blood tests, EarlyCDT®—Lung and EarlyCDT®—Liver. EarlyCDT—Liver aids in the detection and confirmation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC, liver cancer), in association with imaging, in high-risk patients with liver lesions of all sizes. Oncimmune technology detects evidence of the body’s natural response to cancer, enabling detection up to four years before standard clinical diagnosis. Oncimmune tests assist with clinical decision-making and are complementary to diagnostic technologies.
Potential Markers Identified For Early Detection And Prevention Of Liver Cancer
A recent study offers possible good news of early detection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). The results of the study show a drastic increase in the expression of a sugar-burning enzyme called glycolytic enzymes. These enzymes are typically seen in pre-cancerous liver cells. This increase is associated with a higher risk of developing HCC. This increase could be used as a biomarker to identify people at risk of malignancy. Dr Salvatore Papa of the University of Leeds and his team analyzed normal, cirrhotic and cancerous (HCC) liver samples from patients over 10 years following a liver biopsy.
Bayer’s Stivarga Wins NICE Backing For Advanced Liver Cancer
8For patients who have taken sorafenib, there is a secondary treatment option called Stivarga (regorafenib). The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is recommending the usage of the new medication which is giving hope to patients. “Regorafenib for HCC offers the first licensed treatment option following failure on sorafenib which could significantly improve patient’s overall survival," said Manjinder Bains, medical director Oncology, Bayer UK.
Sepsis Involved In 22% Of In-Hospital Deaths In Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients
A study was done on in-hospital patient deaths. Focusing on patients with HCC, researchers looked at 3,180 deaths between 2013 and 2017. they found that 713 of these deaths involved in severe sepsis. The percentage of HCC deaths that involve severe sepsis appears to exceed the percentage of overall cancer deaths that involve severe sepsis. HCC patients' livers are extremely vulnerable to sepsis. Future sepsis treatments may include immunoadjuvant therapy.
Addressing Population Factors Contributing To Liver, Colon Cancers
The Fourth Annual Liver Research Day was put in at The University of California at Davis; where the increased incidence of Hepatitis C in people between 50 and 70 as well as between 20 and 30. Risk factors in the development of HCC from Hep. C was discussed by Bradley Pollock as socioeconomic factors and social and medical histories. "Preventative healthcare calls for a specialized approach to research and to understanding cancer".
Dr. Overman On The Combination Of Atezolizumab And Bevacizumab In HCC
In July 2018, Tecentriq and Avastin were combined and allowed by the FDA to be considered a breakthrough therapy as a first line treatment for patients with resectable or advanced HCC. This therapy was used in a phase II clinical trial and presented at 2018 ESMO Congress to have high response rates. This is exciting news as a potential new combination therapy in the future for HCC patients.
New NCI-Funded Program Targets Early Detection Of Liver Cancer
"The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 42,000 new cases of primary liver cancer and 30,000 subsequent deaths in 2018 alone". Clinical Research at The University of Michigan states that the reason why survival rates are so low for HCC is due to late detection of the disease. Molecular imaging is what is being introduced to potentially improve earlier HCC detection before the cancer progresses.
DAAs Reduce HCC, Decompensation Risk Compared With No Treatment
"Treatment outcomes showed that DAA therapy yielded a significant reduction in risk for developing HCC compared with no treatment (HR= 0.28; 95% Cl, 0.15-0.52) among patients with compensated cirrhosis". Researchers at the University of Florida studied individuals with Hepatitis C who underwent DAA therapy and those who did not receive treatment. Significant reductions in HCC and decompensation risk were found in Cirrhotic patients who received DAA.
UCLA Awarded $3.5 Million To Develop Blood Test For Liver Cancer
The National Institute of Health (NIH) granted UCLA to develop an affordable blood-based cancer screening test. Currently, at-risk patients are given ultrasounds to test for liver cancer detection. This blood test is going to be based on circulating tumor DNA in patients with cirrhosis of the liver. The research is being done at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Liver Cancer Diagnosis Often Late Among African-American Patients
Researchers at Stanford University Medical Center have found a difference in 5-year survival rates between African-American patients and Caucasian patients with HCC. “Long-term survival improved over time for Caucasians with HCC, but not for their African-American counterparts resulting in a survival difference between the two ethnic groups, though ethnicity was not a predictor of HCC mortality,” says Jacqueline Estevez, MD. A possible reason for this result is that African-American patients presented with more advanced stages of HCC than Caucasian patients.
Biomarkers To Detect And Prevent Liver Cancer
In patients with precancerous cirrhotic livers, there may be a new identifier for researchers to help stop the development of liver cancer. By being able to pinpoint when the cirrhosis progresses to cancer, there would be an improvement in early detection and treatment for patients. The researchers are hopeful that this new marker may improve HCC survival.
Brewing Up A Healthy Lifestyle: Coffee And Body Fat Reduce Liver Cancer Risk
“There is strong evidence that greater body fat, consumption of alcoholic drinks and eating foods contaminated with aflatoxins increase the risk of liver cancer,” according to AICR’s recently released Diet and Cancer Report. There is strong evidence that lifestyle factors play important roles in the possible increase risk of liver cancer. These factors are particular to what a person eats and drinks.
Liver Cancer Treatment Paradigm Undergoing Major Overhaul
In the past few months, there has been a significant resurgence in the development of new HCC medications. For example, Lenvima was approved in August 2018 as a first-line treatment for patients with unresectable HCC as well as the accepted supplemental new drug application for Cabometryx in May of 2018. The expectation for patient survival is increasing with the positive results of clinical trials for these new medications, thus bringing new hope to patients.
Variable RBE Impacts Proton Therapy Of Liver Cancer
Proton therapy offers the advantage of affecting less of the healthy liver tissues in HCC patients. “Radiation therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma is currently being investigated in several clinical trials, including proton therapy.” There is still too much uncertainty to readily use this therapy in patients, based on the variability that it has provided thus far.
Ongoing Trial Exploring Oncolytic Virus Pexa-Vec In HCC
There is a phase 3 clinical trial that is comparing the use of Pexa-Vec and then Nexavar versus treatment with only Nexavar with the primary endpoint of the study being overall survival (OS). The researchers are currently recruiting for the PHOCUS trial and are looking for ‘600 patients with advanced HCC who have not received prior systemic therapy’.
Regular Aspirin Use Can Lower Risk For Ovarian, Liver Cancers
Two studies from the Nurses’ Health Studies have shown a significant reduction of risk for HCC. The data was collected from nearly 90,000 women and nearly 46,000 men since the 1980s. “A regular dose of aspirin at least two or more times per week was associated with a 49 percent reduced risk of developing the disease. The observed benefit of aspirin was dose and duration dependent, appearing with aspirin use for five years or more, at a dose of 1.5 or more standard tablets per week.”
Dr. Llovet On Combination Therapy In HCC
The founder and director of the Liver Cancer program in Mount Sinai, NYC believes that the future for HCC treatment may come from combination therapy. This would be focusing on the use and combination of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, and checkpoint inhibitors, which are three different types of medications now being used for HCC patients.
Sequencing Strategies Necessary After Expansion Of Therapy Options In HCC
As the first-line medication Lenvima has been proven to have more benefit than Nexvar, doctors are now looking to see which medications should be planned for second-line treatment for liver cancer patients. There is current research being conducted on patients taking different medications that will inform the doctors of how to manage the cancer in a step-wise fashion. These studies are the first-line CheckMate-459 and the second-line KEYNOTE-240.
EC Approval For Lenvima For Liver Cancer Treatment
The European Commission has approved the marketing of Lenvima for a first line treatment for patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma. This approval from the FDA was based on the positive results from phase III REFLECT study. There has been ‘statistically significant superiority’ for patients taking Lenvima in comparison to Nexavar, which is promising for patients.
Liver Cancer Screening Did Not Reduce Mortality In Cirrhosis Cases
The type of screenings used for Hepatocellular Carcinoma do not change the prognosis of individual patients. There are multiple types of screening processes for HCC, and Dr. Andrew M. Moon of the University of North Carolina found no correlation between the type of screening that a patient receives and HCC-related mortality.
Scientists Develop Novel Drug That Could Potentially Treat Liver Cancer More Effectively
A novel peptide drug called FFW is a small chain of amino acids that would act as a cancer-cell-specific target and this may develop into a clinical grade drug used for patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). The researchers Daniel Tenen and Dr. Liu Bee Hui are working at the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore and are part of the team working to bring FFW to patients in hopes of stopping the development of HCC.
AMC Treats Egyptian Surgeon With Multiple Hepatocellular Carcinomas
Shananm Mohamed is an Egyptian surgeon who underwent laparoscopic surgery for a six-centimeter tumor caused by HCC. He traveled to Seoul, South Korea to get the surgery because there was no laparoscopic equipment or surgeons in Egypt. Professor Kim-Ki-Hun performed the surgery successfully at Asan Medical Center (AMC).
Wuxi STA And Antengene To Collaborate On Cancer Drug Development
The collaboration between companies WuXi STA and Antengene is starting with hepatitis B virus- positive advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma patients. The biopharmaceutical companies are working on a molecule called ATG-008 in this clinical trial.
Tackling Liver Cancer Using CRISPR To Develop A New Animal Model
The Southwest National Primate Research Center at Texas Biomed is using Old World Monkeys as a new animal model, as the mouse models were failing when adapted to human trials. There is more hope with a larger animal, and Dr. Christopher Chen says that CRISPR is “really making a huge impact in labs around the country.”
Liver Cancer Death Rate In US Surged 43% In 16 Years
In American adults, the death rates for liver cancer increased an incredible 43% from 2000 to 2016. Both men and women over age 25 and older saw this increase, while only Asians and Pacific Islanders saw a decrease in the mortality caused by liver cancer. This increase is shocking, as overall mortality for all cancers has declined.
Liver Cancer Risks, Detection: 8 Recent Reports
‘Healio presents the following recent reports that include studies on ethnic differences in liver cancer detection, improved diagnosis and bi-annual screening, and innovative noninvasive testing solutions’. This new data is beneficial for patients who are looking for more information about HCC.
Life-Saving Liver Cancer Screening For Hepatitis C Patients
‘Doctors say lives can be saved if people with Hepatitis C are identified and encouraged to be screened for liver cancer. It requires a blood test and an abdominal ultrasound.” A patient named Neil Strassman contracted Hepatitis C and had no symptoms, so he was unaware until getting a diagnosis in 2006. He developed liver cancer, but after a successful liver transplant in 2012, he is now cancer-free.
Keytruda sBLA Granted Priority Review For Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma
The promising results from the Phase 2 KEYNOTE- 224 Trial have led to a new supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Pembrolizumab. The medication has been granted priority review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
OBI-3424 is the first medication in its class that is being used to target solid tumors in patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) and castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The Phase ½ study has begun enrollment at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Cabozantinib Improves Survival In Advanced Hepatocellular Cancer
Cabozantinib is shown to be effective in progression-free survival in HCC patients in a study done by Dr. Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The 707 patients were given either a placebo or Cabozantinib and the medication was proven more successful than placebo.
Experts Anticipate A Growing Menu Of Frontline Options In Liver Cancer
According to Dr. Aiwu Ruth He: ‘The landscape for Hepatocellular Carcinoma is shifting. I suspect we will have more frontline therapy options to choose from.’ This promising statement was issued during the Peer Exchange panel discussion, where new therapies like regorafenib (Stivarga) and nivolumab (Opdivo) were discussed.
20,000 Vietnamese Die Of Liver Cancer Each Year
Vietnam has a population of 95 million people. The cited reasons for the liver cancer death rate is due to “late diagnosis and treatment.”
Better Buy: Exelixis, Inc. Vs Immunogen, Inc.
The cancer drug Cabozantinib, created by Exelixis, Inc. is going under an FDA review in the hopes of getting the drug extended to treat liver cancer. Cabozantinib is a pill that was originally created for treatment of kidney cancer.
Jack Bruce was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2003 and was not expected to survive long-term. He reunited with two members of his band Cream in Albert Hall in 1968 and had a 50th Anniversary World Tour. Jack’s son is now celebrating his father’s legacy.
Allan Cooper passed away from his battle with liver cancer on June 17th, 2018 in Truckee, CA. He was a member of the US Army for 3 years and worked for the Continental Federal Credit Union for 33 years. He has surgery to remove a portion of his liver but was unable to pull through with the remaining portion of his liver.
Levantinib-Pembrolizumab Shows Promise In Several Cancer Types
There is current research in the use of Levantinib (Lenvima, Eisai) and Pembrolizumab (Keytruda, Merck) for patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma, endometrial cancer, and head and neck cancers. The advance of these research trials is bringing hope to patients.
Dr. Finn Recaps Second-Line Advancements In HCC
In the last year and a half, ‘there have been many advancements in the management of patients with advanced HCC’. The two medications that have shown positive results are Stivarga and Lenvima.
Because of the drugs that are able to cure hepatitis C, doctors such as Dr. David Landsberg are beginning trials that transplant organs from Hep C patients to patients who are in need of a transplant to survive.
Adding SIRT Does Not Provide Survival Benefit In Advanced HCC, Except In Select Patients20 June 2018In patients with advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) in combination with Nexavar does not significantly improve survival in comparison to solely taking Nexavar. But there is a subgroup of patients who may find a benefit in this combination therapy.
Researchers at Exact Sciences Corp. and Mayo Clinic announced significant progress toward developing a panel of novel, blood-based, DNA biomarkers that could accurately detect Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), the most common cancer that originates in the liver. The researchers detailed their findings during a presentation today at Digestive Disease Week, the world's largest gathering of gastroenterologists and scientists in the field.
Inspyr, Lewis And Clark Merge With Prodrug And Adenosine Receptor Modulator Pipeline
8Inspyr Therapeutics and Lewis and Clark Pharmaceuticals have entered into a merger. Now combined, development of Inspyr’s mid-clinical-stage anticancer prodrug therapeutic mipsagargin will continue. Mipsagargin has undergone a Phase II study in patients with Nexavar® (sorafenib) as a treatment for Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) and has been granted FDA orphan drug designation for the HCC indication.
Polaris Group has treated their first patient in a phase 2 trial of ADI-PEG 20 in combination with gemcitabine and docetaxel for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma, sponsored by Washington University. Polaris is also conducting a global phase 2/3 study in malignant plural mesothelioma featuring ADI-PEG 20 in combination with pemetrexed and cisplatin and a global phase 2 study in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) featuring ADI-PEG 20 in combination with FOLFOX. ADI-PEG 20 is a biologic being developed to treat cancers carrying a major metabolic defect that renders them unable to internally synthesize arginine.
FDA Accepts Cabometyx Drug Application For Advanced HCC
The FDA has accepted a supplemental new drug application for Cabometyx tablets as a treatment for patients with previously treated advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma created by Exelixis. “Patients with this aggressive form of advanced liver cancer urgently need new treatment options after they progress on first-line therapy,” Gisela Schwab, MD, president of product development and medical affairs and chief medical officer at Exelixis. Cabometyx (cabozantinib) previously received approval to treat patients with renal cell carcinoma. Exelixis submitted the supplemental new drug application for HCC in March 2018 based on top line results from a phase 3 study.
Dawson Outlines Evolving Role Of Radiotherapy In Liver Cancers
Radiation therapies such as stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) currently have a role in the treatment of patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). Laura Dawson, MD explains, “Radiotherapy is an excellent treatment for most cancers and has a very strong role in most cancers.” HCC is very challenging in that most patients have cirrhosis and poor liver function, and most are not suitable for transplant or surgery. Radiotherapy is an excellent treatment in that situation.
Singapore: Clinical Stage Biotech Lion TCR Bags $20m From Yashang Capital
Lion TCR, a biotech firm in Singapore, has raised $20 million. Lion TCR is focused on the development of T cell receptor (TCR)-T cell therapy against life-threatening viral infections and viral-related cancers. Lion TCR will also use this funding to advance its ongoing clinical trials of LioCyx, a personalized HBV specific TCR T cell therapy against Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) in major hospitals in China and Singapore. LioCyx was developed by Lion TCR’s scientific founder Prof. Antonio Bertoletti and his team, along with the collaboration of Singapore General Hospital, LioCyx won the 2018 SingHealth Duke-NUS Research Award 1st Prize and the Best Abstract in EASL International Liver Congress 2018.
FDA Delays Decision On Lenvatinib For HCC
The FDA has extended the review period for lenvatinib (Lenvima) as a first-line treatment for patients with unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), to allow ample time to review the application. The sNDA submitted for lenvatinib was based on data from the phase III REFLECT trial. According to the trial, the median overall survival (OS) with lenvatinib was 13.6 months compared with 12.3 months for sorafenib. “Based on our results, lenvatinib might be a potential new treatment option for advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma,” said first author Masatoshi Kudo, MD, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Adding A New Dimension To Cancer
Daniel Gioeli, associate professor of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology at the University of Virginia, with the collaboration of HemoShear Therapeutics was able to successfully recreate a cancer tumor environment outside of a patient’s body. Brian Wamhoff, the head of innovation at HemoShear Therapeutics, said the company is focused on developing therapies for rare diseases, primarily in the liver. A patient’s tumor can be introduced into this 3D model and customized to test the effectiveness of different drugs. This model would enable users to find medications specific to the patient, so that patients may have a better chance of responding treatment.
Some Philadelphia Researchers Are Using Microbubbles To Improve Cancer Treatments
Microbubbles are now FDA approved for use in ultrasound technology and researchers are hoping they will improve cancer treatments. A treatment called radioembolization, involves depositing radioactive beads directly to the tumor. This results in cutting off the blood to the tumor. “In this trial what we’re looking at is can we use these bubbles to improve radioembolization techniques,” said Dr. John Eisenbrey. “Our early data is suggesting it’s having a pretty dramatic improvement on tumor outcomes.” The Jefferson researchers are looking to enroll more patients, and hope to use this technology to treat other cancers by filling the microbubbles with oxygen or chemotherapy.
Identifying Nivolumab-Related Adverse Effects Early In Advanced HCC
Nivolumab (Opdivo) has demonstrated durable tumor responses and promising survival benefits for patients with advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). Clinicians mush not identify and manage adverse effects (AEs) of the treatment. A study of 262 patients treated were assessed. Median duration of nivolumab treatment was 4.9 months. “Overall, select treatment-related AEs were effectively managed with the use of specific treatment algorithms, and approximately two-thirds of these resolved,” said Aralee Galway, MSN, ANP-BC, AOCNP, from Massachusetts General Hospital.
Proton Therapy Killed Tumor In 70% Of Liver Cancer Patients
Researchers from Samsung Medical Center competed a study which showed proton therapy to be an effective and safe treatment for liver cancer. Proton therapy is a radiation treatment that uses positively charged particles called protons to destroy cancer cells. A team led by Professors Park Hee-chul and Yu Jeong-il from Samsung Medical Center’s department of radiation oncology, studied 101 patients with liver cancer and received proton therapy for one year starting in January of 2016. Of the 78 patients who underwent a three-month follow up after proton therapy, around 70% of patients had their tumors completely disappear, and about 18% saw a decrease in tumor size.
Sarcopenia Predicts Tumor Recurrence Post Liver Transplantation?
A group of researchers, led by Young Ri Kim, from Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea, found that sarcopenia appears to be one of the important host factors modulating tumor recurrence risk after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). The team studied 92 patients using the Milan criteria for patients with cirrhosis and HCC who received transplants with intent to cure. The researchers found that several factors, in addition to sarcopenia, were significantly associated with HCC recurrence. The mechanism underlying the association between sarcopenia and HCC recurrence is unclear.
Fiona Stanley Hospital Partners With ECU To Improve Outlook For Liver Disease Sufferers
A new partnership between Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH) and Edith Cowan University (ECU) hopes to improve the outlook for people with liver troubles. The iCOILD initiative will also establish national trials and strategies to prevent, rather than simply treat, liver disease. “The goal (of iCOILD – Improving Cancer Outcomes in Liver Disease) is not just mapping the prevalence of liver cancer but improving identification of those at risk and ultimately clinical trials for prevention treatment,” stated Professor John Olynyk, the lead of FSH’s Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
What’s New In Research And Treatment For Pediatric Liver Tumors?
There have recently been new developments in pediatric liver tumor treatment, include more targeted therapies, while reducing the toxic effects of treatment on the body. There are two main types of liver tumors in pediatric patients, which are both very rare: hepatoblastoma and Hepatocellular Carcinoma. At Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s HCC patients have been treated with immunotherapy, a type of treatment that uses the body’s immune system to fight cancer.
Bayer’s Liver Cancer Drug Gets More Reimbursement As 2nd Line Therapy
Bayer's targeted liver cancer therapy Stivarga (regorafenib) won approval for expanded coverage as a second-line treatment. Stivarga is a once-daily, oral prescription multi-kinase inhibitor that works by blocking certain proteins on certain normal and cancer cells. Stivarga is approved to treat several diseases, including HCC, in Korea. The recent expansion covers patients who have Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC).
May is Hepatitis Awareness Month. According data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hepatitis, including A, B, and C, have been on the rise in recent years. There are five main forms of the disease. Although each is a little different, hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. “Hepatitis A, B, and C are the biggest hepatitis viruses in the U.S.,” William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
New Lab Could Lead To Faster Treatment For Liver Cancer Patients
Many Singapore research institutions, along with South Korea's Samsung Medical Center, have created a new program, which has the potential to shorten waiting time from three to four months, to just three, or four weeks, to determine which drugs are most effective against a liver cancer patient's condition. The program uses cells of the tumor samples taken from a patient. The cells are tested against different drugs to see which works best for a patient. This program is a collaboration between the Agency for Science, Technology and Research's Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology and Genome Institute of Singapore, the National Cancer Center Singapore (NCCS), the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Samsung Medical Center.
Metastatic Cancer Gorges On Fructose In The Liver
Xiling Shen, associate professor and his team of biomedical engineers at Duke University have demonstrated that metastatic cancer cells can reprogram their metabolism to thrive in new organs. Their research shows that cells originating from colorectal cancer change their dietary habits to capitalize on the high levels of fructose often found in the liver. During their research, they found one group of metabolic genes stood out in particular, those involved in the metabolism of fructose. This information can provide insight into how cancers thrive after metastasizing; this discovery can lead to new therapies specifically targeting metastatic cells.
HCC: Third-Line Treatments And Beyond
Dr. Finn states: “The fact that we’re talking about third-line options in advanced liver cancer is really remarkable. If you think about where we were not that long ago, we had sorafenib and only sorafenib for 10 or more years. So, for example, if they had sorafenib frontline and then received regorafenib at progression, upon progression on regorafenib, then it would be very appropriate to give them nivolumab. Or, if the sequence was sorafenib then nivolumab, then on progression on nivolumab, I would offer them regorafenib. The fact that we have drugs that have proven efficacy in liver cancer means that we need to follow our patients with imaging. The recent approvals and positive studies in liver cancer are very exciting”
Therapeutic Approach For HCC Progression
Dr. Finn States: “We are now a year later and the patient has been managed on sorafenib with what appears to be a good response initially but now has evidence of progression. As far as therapeutically, we are now in the era of second-line treatment, and there are several treatments available. One would be regorafenib, which has been shown to improve survival versus placebo. The RESORCE study was the first phase III study to show a survival benefit of a systemic treatment after progression on sorafenib. And in the United States, we now have the availability to use nivolumab. Patients who progressed on sorafenib were randomized to cabozantinib ... and this also showed a survival advantage, though at this time, that’s not FDA approved.”
New Nivolumab Dosing Schedules Approved In Europe
The European Commission has approved a 4-week dosing schedule for nivolumab (Opdivo). “This approval marks a significant achievement in our longstanding commitment to providing patients and healthcare providers with more flexible and convenient treatment options,” Fouad Namouni, MD, head of development, Oncology, BMS. Physicians can now prescribe the new dosing schedule of 480 mg of nivolumab infused every 30 minutes every 4 weeks for HCC patients who have already undergone sorafenib therapy.
Radiation Segmentectomy Shows Promise In Treatment Of Early-Stage Liver Cancer
According to a new study, radiation segmentectomy (RS) could give physicians a new tool in the fight against early-stage liver cancer. Researchers performed a retrospective study using data from 70 patients with solitary Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) 5 cm or less, not amenable to percutaneous ablation. Ninety percent of patients showed response based on European Association for the Study of the Liver guidelines and 59 percent of that group showed complete response. The researchers will keep following the study group to help improve patient care.
Vitamin A Derivative Selectively Kills Liver Cancer Stem Cells
Researchers have found that an artificial compound derived from Vitamin A, called acyclic retinoid, to prevent the recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). A research group led by Soichi Kojima of the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Science looked at the transcriptome of cells that had been exposed to acyclic retinoid, and found that compared to control untreated cells, they had low expression of MYCN, a gene that is often expressed in tumors and is correlated with poor prognosis. The team also discovered that the compound targets one class of cancer stem cells, preventing them from giving rise to new tumors. A phase 3 clinical trial of acyclic retinoid (also called Peretinoin), is currently underway in Korea, Taiwan and Singapore to test the drug's ability to prevent HCC recurrence.
New Study Sheds Light On Treating Liver Cancer
A recent study by the School of Life Sciences at UNIST, scientists finally found genetic evidence to combat liver cancer. The point of this investigation is to give a top to bottom knowledge on the capacity of TonEBP in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). Scientists are now investigating the role played by TonEBP in the recurrence of liver cancer, as well as chemotherapy resistance. In collaboration with Ulsan University Hospital, the team found that TonEBP is involved at multiple steps of the common pathway of HCC development and tumor progression.
A recent study presented at The International Liver Congress 2018, showed an effective public health initiative developed in India to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. A total of 29,371 patients were enrolled in one year. A decentralized, algorithm-based public health model helped cure over 90 percent of patients with hepatitis C virus infections in Punjab, India. The treatment was developed using sofosbuvir-based regimens to treat all patients. “This study is an impressive example of how to upscale the treatment of hepatitis C, which is important to reduce hepatitis C-related complications, particularly the development of Hepatocellular Carcinoma,” said Professor Markus Cornberg from the Hannover Medical School, Germany.
Therapeutic Options Continue To Grow For HCC
The number of treatments for Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) continues to increase. During the past year, new treatments included the multikinase inhibitor regorafenib (Stivarga) and the PD-1 antibody nivolumab (Opdivo). In advanced HCC, liver embolotherapy techniques include TAE. Another treatment is radioembolization, which is radiation necrosis from beta-emitting Yttrium-90 microspheres. 2009 brought the approval of sorafenib (Nexavar). In 2017 was the phase III RESORCE study, which investigated second-line regorafenib versus placebo in patients with HCC who had progressed on sorafenib.
The FDA has cleared an investigational new drug known as IND for a phase I/II study of OBI-3424, a first-in-class DNA alkylating agent that targets cancers that overexpress the aldo-keto reductase 1C3 (AKR1C3) enzyme. Conducting the trial is OBI Pharma, Inc., a Taiwan biopharma company. OBI plans to enroll patients with local solid tumors, including Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). AKR1C3 overexpression has been documented in a number of treatment-resistant and difficult-to-treat cancers including HCC. Individualized patient selection by staining for AKR1C3 overexpression by immunohistochemistry can be performed to identify patients that are most likely to respond to treatment with OBI-3424, and thus offering the possibility for a streamlined clinical development strategy.
Growing Liver Cancer In The Lab May Speed Up Drug Testing
Researchers have now developed a method for growing liver cancer cells in the lab. Using patient-derived xenografts (PDX), researchers developed models of these kinds of cancerous growths to more accurately mimic the tumor environment to grow liver cancer cells. Using special technology, researchers can use one PDX to produce tens to hundreds of such scaffolds containing organoids. With their ability to recapitulate the genetic features and heterogeneity of the original liver tumors, these tumor avatars have the potential to revolutionize the screening and development of liver cancer drugs for patients.
Chinese Scientists Find New Trick Of Old Medicine To Cure Liver Cancer
Chinese researchers have uncovered a new mechanism that drives the development of liver cancer brought on by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD is a risk factor for Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), but the molecular processes underlying how NAFLD leads to HCC remain unclear. The team found that mice with an overactive SQLE gene developed HCC tumors more frequently compared to wild type mice and Terbinafine, a compound commonly used to treat athlete's foot, markedly reduced the size of tumors in mouse models of NAFLD.
Cabometyx Could Be Exelixis's Long-Term Growth Driver
The FDA accepted Exelixis’s (EXEL) supplemental New Drug Application (or sNDA) for Cabometyx as a therapy for the treatment of individuals with advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). Exelixis’s sNDA was based on the results of its Phase 3 CELESTIAL trial. An independent data-monitoring committee recommended that Exelixis stop its CELESTIAL efficacy trial after a review of the second planned interim analysis. Cabometyx demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful progress in overall survival compared to the placebo in individuals who had already been treated for advanced HCC. Cabometyx was granted an orphan drug designation by the FDA for the treatment of individuals with advanced HCC.
Novel Proteomics Strategies Aid Cancer Research
Scientists are using novel proteomics methods to address unanswered questions in cancer research. The proteomics methods are applied to the study of protein variation within tumors; the failure of some candidate cancer drugs; and how chemotherapeutic combinations act synergistically. The researchers used laser-capture microdissection to profile protein expression in different parts of sample biopsies from patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC).
Laboratory for Advanced Medicine (LAM) is a clinical-stage medical technology company focused on developing cutting-edge technologies for the early diagnosis and intervention of cancer. At the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, LAM presented data demonstrating the utility of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) methylation markers in the diagnosis, surveillance and prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). Scientists at LAM identified HCC-specific methylation markers by comparing HCC tissue and normal blood leukocytes, and showed that the methylation profiles of HCC tumor DNA and matched plasma ctDNA are highly correlated.
Eggplant Peels Provide Novel Treatment For Skin, Liver Cancers
Phytochemical analysis was done to show that eggplant peels are rich in steroidal glycosides, in the form of glycoalkaloids. A recent study has shown that the peels of the eggplant are also effective in treating Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). The study published in Journal of Carcinogenesis & Mutagenesis is titled “In Vitro and In Vivo Anticancer Activity of the Fruit Peels of Solanum melongena L. against Hepatocellular Carcinoma.”
Personalized T Cell Therapy Shows Signs Of Clinical Effectiveness Against HBV-Related HCC
In a presentation at The International Liver Congress 2018 in Paris, France, doctors showed a positive response in a patient with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative HCC metastases in the lungs following liver transplant. Scientists used engineered T cells. Cytotoxic T cells play a key role in killing cancerous and infected cells. "This study further explores the potentially beneficial role of immunotherapy in the management of advanced HCC," said Prof. Alejandro Forner from the Hospital Clinic Barcelona, Spain, and EASL Governing Board Member
Screening For Hepatocellular Carcinoma Likely To Be Cost Effective
According to the results of a Canadian study, surveillance for Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) by ultrasound is likely to be cost effective. This was conducted in patients with hepatitis C-related liver cirrhosis after they have achieved a sustained virological response (SVR) to direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs). “The results of our study challenge current clinical practice guidelines by suggesting that ultrasound surveillance is very unlikely to be cost effective in patients without cirrhosis,” said Dr. Hooman Farhang Zangneh from the University of Toronto, Canada.
Highly Sensitive Detection Of Hepatitis B Using ddPCR
A new study from investigators at the Center for Gene Diagnosis in the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, China, describes a new hepatitis B virus (HBV) assay that offers advantages over currently used methods. The new assay utilizes droplet digital PCR (ddPCR), which is highly sensitive and accurate for detecting trace molecules, such as viruses. Providing an accurate and sensitive approach for closed circular DNA (cccDNA) detection is of great clinical significance for earlier diagnosis and HCC prediction.
HCC Trials Spur Treatment Landscape Forward
The phase III CheckMate-459 trial in which nivolumab (Opdivo) is being compared with sorafenib (Nexavar) will continue to investigate the use of immunotherapy agents in advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). The study includes patients without hepatitis B or C, and those with either hepatitis B or C. CheckMate-040 started as a simple phase I trial investigating dose escalation of nivolumab, which then led to a series of dose expansions. “CheckMate-459 has completed accrual and will likely be the next big story in HCC because it has the potential to change not only the standard of care, but the entire treatment landscape,” says R. Kate Kelley, MD.
BeiGene, Ltd announced that the first patient was dosed in a global Phase 2 clinical trial of tislelizumab, an investigational anti-PD-1 antibody. BeiGene is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative molecularly targeted and immuno-oncology drugs for the treatment of liver cancer. The Phase 2 trial is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tislelizumab in patients who were previously treated for unresectable HCC. Approximately 225 patients will be enrolled at approximately 75 cancer centers internationally.
Blue Faery Grants Liver Cancer Research Award To Dr. Ghassan Abou-Alfa
Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association created the Blue Faery Award to recognize medical professionals who develop innovative research in the fight against Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). This year's recipient of the award is Dr. Ghassan Abou-Alfa. Dr. Abou-Alfa works at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and specializes in the treatment of liver cancer. Dr. Abou-Alfa serves on many boards including the chair of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Task Force for Hepatobiliary Cancers and chair of the medical board for Blue Faery.
Cyramza Improves OS, PFS For Hepatocellular Carcinoma
According to a recent study, the phase 3 REACH-2 trial of ramucirumab met its primary endpoint of overall survival (OS) and its secondary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS) for the second-line treatment of patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma with high alpha-fetoprotein. Levi Garraway, MD, PhD, senior vice president of global development and medical affairs at Lilly Oncology, stated, “The expected survival of these patients is only a few months following first-line treatment if they don’t go onto second-line therapy. For this reason, Lilly is encouraged by the results of REACH-2 and the potential for Cyramza to benefit patients in this setting.”
Can DNA Methylation Help Us Understand And Diagnose Cancer Better?
Paul Ehrlich, of the late 19th century, proposed that the immune system plays a vital role in preventing cancer development. Researchers recently conducted a study to determine if DNA methylation can be used to diagnose cancer. They investigated if immune cells within peripheral blood change their epigenetics as cancer progresses in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). Researchers examined the DNA methylation pattern in patient blood samples; they found that methylation was correlated with the progression of HCC.
New Anti-Cancer Protein Discovered
Researchers have discovered a new anti-cancer protein called histidine phosphatase (LHPP). This protein prevents the uncontrolled proliferation of cancer cells in the liver. The number of cases has almost doubled in Switzerland in the last 20 years. Leading the researcher is Prof. Michael N. Hall from the Biozentrum, University of Basel who reports that LHPP can also serve as a biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of liver cancer. LHPP is present in healthy tissue and completely absent in tumor tissue.
The Role Of Dermcidin In The Diagnosis And Staging Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
In this study, scientists measured serum DCD and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels in 87 HCC patients and evaluated the relationship between DCD levels and clinicopathological parameters. In this prospective study, blood samples were collected from HCC, liver cirrhosis (LC) without HCC, and noncirrhotic non-HCC patients treated at Guangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from October 2014 to May 2015. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), a plasma protein produced by the yolk sac and fetal liver cells. AFP is the most widely used biomarker for HCC. It is important to identify novel serum biomarkers with high diagnostic accuracy to detect HCC and its metastasis.
BMS’ Opdivo Cleared For Monthly Use
US regulators have approved a label update to Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Opdivo, waving through a new dosing option for the immunotherapy of every four weeks. The company says the approval will allow physicians to customize patient care with the option of using the newly approved dose of 480mg every four weeks. “With this approval, we now offer the most robust range of dosing options for an Immuno-Oncology medicine, providing enhanced flexibility to help address each patient's specific needs," said Johanna Mercier, head, US Commercial, BMS.
Globally, between 64 and 103 million people are chronically infected with Hepatitis C virus (HCV), with more than 4.6 million people in the United States and is associated with more than 15.000 deaths annually. Chronic infection can result in cirrhosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma. In the developing world, viral hepatitis (primarily hepatitis B) continues to represent a major risk for the development of HCC. Worldwide, chronic HBV infection accounts for approximately 50% of all cases of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and virtually all childhood cases.
Liver Cancer: A New Method For Identifying Splicing Biomarkers Developed
Researchers have developed a method for identifying splicing-based biomarkers for the most common form of liver cancer, Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). The team tested their splicing-variant detection method in HCC, by analyzing RNA messages in HCC cells sampled from hundreds of patients. Fixing AFMID splicing could lead to an increase in DNA repair.
Large-scale molecular profiling of patient samples has tremendously improved our understanding of human cancers. Given that AAVs can efficiently infect the liver after intravenous injection, the team reasoned that liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma would be a suitable and relevant model. The data indicates that AAV-CRISPR mTSG directly promotes aggressive liver tumorigenesis.
Lab-Grown Liver Tumors Help Singapore Scientists To Develop Anti-Cancer Drugs
A team of scientists has managed to grow tiny liver cancer tumors in a laboratory, which they believe could hold the key to treating one of Singapore's deadliest diseases. Anti-cancer drugs can be tested on them, allowing scientists to see how effective they are within a week or so.
Mini Tumor Models Offer New Insights Into Liver Cancer
Scientists have used laboratory models of tumors to identify a new drug that could be a potential liver cancer treatment. Experts from the Wellcome/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute in Cambridge created mini biological models of human primary liver cancers, known as organoids.
Perthera Inc. And Blue Faery Announce Their Partnership Against Liver Cancer
Perthera, Inc., the leading Therapeutics Intelligence Company™, has announced its partnership with Blue Faery, the leading Hepatocellular Carcinoma advocacy group in the US, with the goal to provide liver cancer patients with therapeutic treatment options precisely matched to their individual cancers.
Lenvatinib HCC Data Published As FDA Considers Approval
Lenvatinib (Lenvima) was noninferior for overall survival (OS) while improving progression-free survival (PFS) compared with sorafenib (Nexavar) for the frontline treatment of patients with unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), according to findings from the phase III REFLECT trial now published online in the Lancet.
New Direction In Treatment Of Cancer
An expert expects that in 10 years there will be a cure for cancer. Speaking to The Independent newspaper ahead of the World Cancer Day on 4 February 2017, Prof. Karol Sikora, who is a former head of the World Health Organisation’s cancer programme, said that advancement in genetics meant that doctors would be able to prescribe drugs targeted explicitly at cancer.
Type Of Health Insurance And Marital Status Affect Outcomes In Liver Cancer
People treated for liver cancer at an inner-city hospital experienced better survival odds if they had private health insurance, and if they were married, according to the results of a recent study that considered how socioeconomic factors affect health outcomes for those with the disease.
Celsion Corporation today announced that an abstract discussing the Company’s Phase III HEAT study evaluating ThermoDox® in combination with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) was one of six selected for presentation as part of the lecture of the Presidential Selection at the Korean Liver Cancer Association’s 12th Annual Scientific Meeting in Seoul, South Korea.
Simple Tips To Keep Your Liver Healthy
Everything we do and take in somehow affects our liver. Our liver performs over 500 functions that work to keep us healthy overall. But what do we do when the liver gets sick? Your best defense against a sick liver is to adhere to a healthy lifestyle as much as possible. It’s really that simple. Here are some easy to do tips that can promote a healthy liver.
Recreating Liver Tumors As Organoids For Faster, More Accurate Drug Screening
Liver cancer is one of the top causes of cancer deaths globally, with a lack of approved treatments. A major challenge in developing effective drugs for liver cancer is that current preclinical tumor models do not accurately replicate features of the tumor and the tumor environment in humans, causing many potential drugs to fail in clinical testing.
Liver Cancer Patients Barred From NHS Access To Bayer’s Stivarga
It is now looking very unlikely that patients with liver cancer will get access to Bayer’s Stivarga on the NHS, after cost regulators issued final draft guidelines rejecting funding for the drug in this setting. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is sticking with its decision not to recommend the drug’s use to treat liver cancer that has spread around the body, is inoperable and has previously been treated with the drug, sorafenib.
Superior Court Judge Ola Lewis Says Cancer Treatments Are Working
Senior Superior Court Judge Ola Lewis said Friday morning that treatments for her liver cancer are working. “The cancer is shrinking,” Lewis said. “Round 4 of chemo next week! Cancer numbers went from 202 to 37! Praise God!"
Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative, targeted therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, today announced that it has entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Zhejiang Haichang Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (Haichang), to develop RX-0201 (Archexin®) for the treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer.
IILDS And Medgenome Inaugurate R&D Centre At Sonarpur
8Indian Institute of Liver and Digestive Sciences, a brainchild of The Liver Foundation, West Bengal, in association with MedGenome, announced the launch of the R&D centre at IILDS, Sonarpur. The centre would provide a deeper understanding of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in the Indian subcontinent. NAFLD is the most common liver ailments that can lead to cirrhosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
Burbank’s Mayor Going Strong Despite Cancer Diagnosis
Last month, the Burbank City Council held its first public session of the new year. Normally, this wouldn’t really be a big deal. Lots of city councils are getting back to work after the winter break.
Liver Cancer Symptoms — Seven Signs Of The DEADLY Condition
Liver cancer is a rare condition that’s linked to damage and scarring of the liver, known as cirrhosis. Several types of cancer can form in the liver, but Hepatocellular Carcinoma is the most common type. Signs and symptoms of the disease are difficult to spot to begin with, said the NHS. “Symptoms of liver cancer are often vague and don't appear until the cancer is at an advanced stage,” it said.
Liver Cancer Deaths Up 80% Since 1990, Hepatitis B And C Mostly To Blame: 5 Insights
Deaths from liver cancer increased by 80 percent in the last two decades, making liver cancer the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide after lung cancer. Here are five things to know: In 2016, 830,000 people died as a result of the disease compared to 464,000 people in 1990, according to the Global Burden of Disease Study, the most comprehensive worldwide epidemiological observational study to date.
Dr. Abou-Alfa On Sequencing Agents In The Treatment Of Patients With HCC
Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa, MD, medical oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses how the potential approval of cabozantinib (Cabometyx) in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) could affect the treatment landscape in liver cancer.
Researchers Discover Two-Step Process To Thwart Cancer Cells
Scientists at the University of Delaware and the University of Illinois at Chicago have found a new way to kill liver cancer cells and inhibit tumor growth. First, they silence a key cellular enzyme, and then they add a powerful drug. They describe their methods in a new paper published in Nature Communications.
Healthcast: A Study On Deaths From Liver Cancer
A new study found deaths from liver cancer have increased by 80% since the 1990's, making it one of the fastest-growing causes of cancer deaths worldwide, second to lung cancer. Primary liver cancer can be attributed to heavy drinking as well as long-term infections with the hepatitis B or C virus.
5 Things You Can Do To Improve Your Liver
As many people are attempting new diets in the new year, some are turning to detox diets to “cleanse their liver.” Maybe it’s the idea we’re poisoning ourselves with toxic foods that drive some to seek out a liver detox diet. But there are far easier steps you can take to prevent liver disease. A liver detox diet is not one of them.
Marijuana Could Help Protect Alcoholics From Liver Damage
“Our study revealed that among alcohol users, individuals who additionally use cannabis (dependent and non-dependent cannabis use) showed significantly lower odds of developing alcoholic steatosis (AS), steatohepatitis (AH), cirrhosis (AC) and Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC),” the study reads, according to BGR.
Dr. Zhu Discusses Findings Of The KEYNOTE-224 In HCC
Andrew Zhu, MD, PhD, directory, Liver Cancer Research, Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses the findings of KEYNOTE-224 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). KEYNOTE-224 evaluated pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in patients with advanced HCC who had been previously treated with sorafenib (Nexavar).
Small-For-Size Graft In Liver Transplantation Outside Milan Criteria Presents Worse Outcomes29 January 2018Patients who received small-for-size grafts during liver transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma outside Milan criteria had worse rates of recurrence and survival compared with patients within Milan criteria, according to a recently published study.
Losing Your Parents When You Know Nothing Of Death: Solace AndSorrow In The Dead Parent’s Society
A doctor would run a pen along each line of Mum's oncologist report, in a few months' time, pausing to translate the jargon. Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma (liver cancer) and invasive ductal carcinoma (breast cancer) had resulted in metastatic intraspinal extradural tumors (spinal cancer).
Pembrolizumab Elicits Promising Activity In HCC Patients Previously Treated With Sorafenib
In phase II data reported at the 2018 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, treatment with the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab (Keytruda) elicited promising progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) results in patients with advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) who received previous treatment with sorafenib.
Radiofrequency Ablation Improves Survival Over SBRT In Localized HCC
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) was associated with superior five-year overall survival (OS) compared with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for patients with localized Hepatocellular Carcinoma, according to an observational study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Invitrocue's Onco-PDO Technology Grows Liver Cancer Outside Of Body
Invitrocue has again validated its Onco-PDO technology by successfully growing liver cancer outside the human body, opening the door for liver cancer sufferers to receive more personalized drug treatment plans. Using Onco-PDO technology, Invitrocue researchers have been able to culture a variety of patient-derived cancer cells in the laboratory. The cultures or organoids can then be tested against a panel of drugs to facilitate personalized drug treatments in patients and improve outcomes.
Bayer To Highlight New Research At ASCO GI 2018 Cancer Symposium
Bayer announced today that new data from the continued research on Stivarga® (regorafenib) and Nexavar® (sorafenib) in advanced liver cancer will be presented at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal (ASCO GI) Cancer Symposium. The Bayer data include analyses from the RESORCE trial in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) in addition to the LiverT study in HCC.
Minimally Invasive Liver Resection Reduces Blood Loss, Complications
Minimally invasive liver resection may be effective for patients with impaired liver function, as results from a recently published study showed that the procedure reduced blood loss and had lower complication rates that led to shorter hospital stays compared with open liver resection. Noda and colleagues retrospectively reviewed the data of 99 patients who underwent hepatectomy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma (n = 96) or combined HCC and cholangiocarcinoma (n = 3).
BeiGene, Ltd., a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative molecularly targeted and immuno-oncology drugs for the treatment of cancer, today announced that in December 2017 the first patient was dosed in a global Phase 3 clinical trial of tislelizumab, an investigational anti-PD-1 antibody, in patients with previously untreated advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC or liver cancer). Along with two pivotal Phase 2 trials in China in relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma and urothelial cancer, and a global Phase 3 trial in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, tislelizumab is now being evaluated in pivotal trials in four distinct indications.
Dr. Abou-Alfa On Checkpoint Inhibitors In Liver Cancer
Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa, MD, medical oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses checkpoint inhibitors in liver cancer. There is a place for checkpoint inhibitors in liver cancer, says Ghassan, but currently he chooses tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy. Upcoming data with checkpoint inhibitors will read out soon and will affect sequencing, he adds.