Targeted RNA Nanoparticle Shows Early Promise as Treatment for Liver Cancer

Ohio University : A new targeted RNA nanoparticle designed to carry a chemotherapy drug along with a therapeutic oligonucleotide against chemical efflux gene might provide an effective treatment for liver cancer, according to a new study led by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James). 

Risk of liver cancer lower than previously thought in patients with cirrhosis.

Nottingham: The results of a study by researchers at The University of Nottingham suggest that the risk of liver cancer in patients with cirrhosis may be much lower than previously thought. Liver cancer – or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) – is one of the most serious complications of cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver, caused by long-term liver damage. However, an analysis of health records, published in the academic journal Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, found that the 10-year incidence of HCC in UK patients with cirrhosis is actually only four per cent, or lower.

Programming probiotics for early detection of liver cancer

UCSD: Scientists at the University of California, San Diego and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have described a new method for detecting liver cancer metastases in mice. The approach uses over-the-counter probiotics genetically programmed to produce signals easily detectable in urine when liver cancer metastases are present. The results of the new study, published in the May 27 issue of Science Translational Medicine, indicate that genetically-programmed probiotics may be useful for detecting liver cancer metastases early-on in the progression of the disease.

First Noninvasive Early Detection Of Liver Cancer Developed

Georgia: Led by Georgia State University, researchers have developed the first robust and noninvasive detection of early stage liver cancer and liver metastases, in addition to other liver diseases, such as cirrhosis and liver fibrosis. Their findings were published Wednesday (May 13) in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. More than 700,000 people are diagnosed with liver cancer each year. It is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, accounting for more than 600,000 deaths annually, according to the American Cancer Society.

New genes implicated in liver cancer identified: another step towards personalised medicine

INSERM: Hepato Cellular Carcinoma is the second most common cause of death from cancer in the world and is linked to various pre-existing problems such as hepatitis B and C infections, excessive alcohol consumption, high iron levels and obesity-related chronic hepatitis. French researchers have used high-throughput sequencing techniques to study cancer linked to excessive alcohol consumption and obesity in particular, seeking to identify the mutations and rearrangements implicated in tumour genesis and the progression and resistance of the disease. The team’s research, published in the journal Nature Genetics on 30 March 2015, demonstrates:
- that there is a link between individuals’ exposure to risk factors during their lives (alcohol, tobacco, food toxins) and the DNA mutations found in their tumours;

Percutaneous ethanol injection for the treatment of early liver cancer

Cochrane: Liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide. In the majority of people, liver cancer is diagnosed at advanced stages of the disease and is mostly accompanied by liver cirrhosis. In high-income countries, about 30% of people present with the more favourable early liver cancer. For these people, percutaneous ablation techniques (destruction of the cancer cells by heat, cold, or chemical substances such as ethanol), surgical resection (removal of part of the liver), and liver transplantation (which is limited by organ donor shortage) are currently considered potentially curative treatments.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (Primary Liver Cancer)

UCSF. US: Primary liver cancer, also known as hepatocellular carcinoma, is a cancer that begins in the liver.. Each year in the United States, approximately 15,000 men and 6,000 women are diagnosed with primary liver cancer.

Genomic Predictors for Recurrence of Liver Cancer

Plos: In a new study,  Ju-Seog Lee and colleagues develop a genetic predictor that can identify patients at high risk for late recurrence of liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma, HCC) and provided new biomarkers for risk stratification.

Alpha-fetoprotein

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is the main protein of fetal serum. It is usually undetectable after birth. Alpha-fetoprotein is produced by the liver and the yolk sac of the fetus, crosses the placenta, enters the amniotic fluid and can also be detected into the maternal blood. It's the main protein during the first three months of development. AFP greatly decreases by age 1 and should only be found  in very low levels in non-pregnant adults.

Liver cancer (Hepatocellular Carcinoma)

Author: Dr Tim Davern California Pacific Medical Center 2008-10-05

Hepatocellular Carcinoma Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an increasingly recognized complication of cirrhosis. This article briefly reviews the epidemiology of HCC, its diagnosis, prognosis and treatment.