Semiannual Ultrasound Improves Liver Cancer Outcome: Ultrasound Surveillance for Hepatocellular Carcinoma may Improve Clinical Outcome at a Reasonable Cost in Cirrhotic Patients
23 December 2008
Karin L. Andersson, M.D. and colleagues of Massachusetts General Hospital calculated the number of screening tests needed to detect a small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumor. They found that, compared with no surveillance, semiannual surveillance with the ultrasound extended life expectancy, on average, 8.6 months, and extended life years up to 3.5 years in patients with detected and treated HCC tumors. Andersson writes, "[these findings] support recent American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases guidelines recommending surveillance with ultrasound alone."
For the complete article, click on Semiannual Ultrasound Improves Liver Cancer Outcome
Erlotinib Linked to Deaths in Patients with Hepatic Impairment, Advanced Solid Tumors
18 December 2008
La Roche Limited, along with Health Canada, have begun informing healthcare professionals of the new findings of patients using erlotinib who have moderate hepatic impairment, or advanced solid tumors. A study of 15 patients with hepatic impairment due to advanced cancer with liver involvement, such as hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, or liver metastases, found that 10 had died during treatment, or within 30 days of the last dose of erlotinib.
For the complete article, click on Erlotinib Linked to Deaths in Patients with Hepatic Impairment
Sorafenib Appears Effective in Asian-Pacific Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma
17 December 2008
Asian-Pacific patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma showed significant increases in overall survival rates while using sorafenib. The safety and efficacy of sorafenib was proven in a phase 3 Sorafenib Hepatocellular Carcinoma Assessment Randomised Protocol trial in patients from Europe and North America. It was also shown by the colleagues of the National Taiwan University Hospital in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial involving 226 patients. Patients taking sorafenib had a median overall survival of 6.5 months, as compared to 4.5 months in the placebo group.
For the complete article, click on Sorafenib Appears Effective in Asian-Pacific Patients with HCC
Korean Scientists Develop Substance for Liver Cancer Medicine
16 December 2008
Lee Jung-weon of the College of Medicine of Seoul National University, and Park Ki-hun of Gyeongsang National University, have developed a new substance called TSAHC that suppresses the protein TM4SF5, which has been known as a major cause of liver cancer. TSAHC specifically targets tumor growth and the growth of cells in the veins that supply nutrition to cancer cells. They have also seen that TSAHC has fewer side effects than other anti-cancer medicine.
For the complete article, click on Korean Scientists Develop Substance for Liver Cancer Medicine
Interferon Doesn't Help HCV in Long Run
8 December 2008
After reviewing the results of the Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-Term Treatment against Cirrhosis Trial involving 1,050 patients with HCV, researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center found no difference in the rate of progression of liver disease in patients who received interferon, as compared to those who did not.
For the complete article, click on Interferon Doesn't Help HCV in Long Run
Improved Testing for Hepatitis B Virus from Roche: A Sensitive and Fully Automated Platform Improves Viral Load Testing in Serum and Plasma
8 December 2008
Roche Diagnostics Division, headquartered in Switzerland, is one of the world's leading research-focused healthcare groups. It is the world's biggest biotech company and innovator of products and services for the detection, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases.
Recently, Roche Molecular Diagnostics announced the certification of its new COBAS(R) AmpliPrep / COBAS(R) TaqMan(R) HBV Test v2.0for the quantitative detection of hepatitis B Virus in a patient's plasma and serum. This test is fully automated and uses real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technology. This test can also help doctors select patients for treatment, and predict and assess individual responses to therapy.
For the complete article, click on Improved Testing for Hepatitis B Virus from Roche
Delcath Adds University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to Phase III Trial
2 December 2008
Delcath Systems, Inc. is a medical technology company specializing in cancer treatment. It is currently in a Phase III clinical trial testing of Percutaneous Hepatic Perfusion (PHP) System, targeting inoperable metastatic melanoma in the liver, in which a high dose of an anti-cancer agent called melphalan is delivered.
Hillman Cancer Center of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) is the 11th center to join this trial. UPMC is an integrated global health enterprise in Pennsylvani, and one of the leading nonprofit health systems in the United States partnering 20 hospitals, 400 doctors' offices, outpatient sites and long-term care facilities. They also plan to explore other options for its use, including colorectal metastasis, neuroendocrine metastasis and primary liver cancer.
For the complete article, click on Delcath Adds University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to Phase III Trial
Little Balls of Fire
1 December 2008
A new treatment is being developed called Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT). This procedure delivers targeted internal radiation directly to inoperable liver tumors. Microscopic radioactive spheres, called SIR spheres, are only one-third the diameter of a strand of hair. This way, not only does it protect the health surrounding tissue, but it also delivers 40 times more radiation to treat the tumor compared to conventional radiotherapy. The treatment consists of two rounds, each lasting two weeks and at least one month apart. The reason behind the two-week round is that after two weeks the SIR spheres are no longer radioactive. The first half of the treatment will target the left lobe, while the second round targets the right lobe. Patients are normally discharged within 24 hours.
For the complete article, click on Little Balls of Fire
Three Studies by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Scientists Appear in the Latest Issue of Cell
1 December 2008
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a private, not-for-profit, research and education institution, is currently working on three separate new studies:
1) The first study involves tumor suppressors in liver cancer, in which they have identified 13 new tumor suppressors, and the link between some genes and their functional contribution to cancer.
2) The second study tries to understand how cancer begins, by looking at the normal function of the protein Scribble, which allows breast cells to build duct-like structures that resists cancer. When Scribble fails to work properly, the tissue loses shape and cancers ensue.
3) The third study looks at the functions of non-coding RNA molecules. Two percent of human DNA is converted into intermediary RNA, which carry instructions within the cell for the manufacture of protein. The other 98 percent, once thought to be superfluous, is now being examined. The CSHL team explored one non-coding RNA molecule called MALAT1. This molecule, when found at very high levels in the nuclei of cancer cells, is an indication of cancer progression and the possibility of metastasizing. The team is watching how MALAT1 splits into two non-equal pieces, with the shorter piece moving out of the nucleus, to decipher what the functions of the pieces are.
For the complete article, click on Three Studies by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Scientists
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy With or Without Transarterial Chemoembolization for Patients with Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Preliminary Analysis
27 November 2008
A retrospective study was done to evaluate the efficacy of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) on small, inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to observe the affects of SBRT with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) on advances HCC with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT). Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy involves a surgical technique in which a beam of radiation is precisely directed to a specific tumor using coordinates provided by medical imaging.
In the 31 patients with HCC that were treated with SBRT, the overall response rate showed a 71.9% improvably. In conclusion, tests on HCC using SBRT, and tests on advanced HCC with PVTT with SBRT and TACE proved feasibility with minimal side effects.
For the complete article, click on Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy With or Without Transarterial Chemoembolization for Patients with Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Preliminary Analysis.
Light Sciences Oncology Completes Enrollment in Phase III Liver Cancer Trial
26 November 2008
Light Sciences Oncology, a company that specializes in developing light-activated drug treatment for solid tumors, has recently completed its enrollment for a clinical trial of Light Infusion Therapy. In its third phase, and after examining the preliminary evidence indicating the effectiveness, they will now evaluate the overall benefit versus risk. The results from phase III can be extrapolated to the general population, and can be used for physician labeling. The Light Infusion Therapy is a treatment for the tumors of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) which cannot be removed with surgery. Llew Keltner, president and CEO of Light Sciences Oncology says, "We look forward to seeing a statistically significant survival benefit of Litx [Light Infusion Therapy] and proceeding with a new drug application to the FDA, European Medicines Agency and other regulatory authorities in 2009."
For the complete article, click on Light Sciences Oncology Completes Enrollment in Phase III Liver Cancer Trial.
Aggressive Cancer Treatment, Prevention Efforts Drop Cancer Rates
26 November 2008
According to the National Cancer Institute, the US Centers for Disease Control and the American Cancer Society, cancer diagnosis rates have decreased by 0.8 percent each year from 1999 to 2005. They also reported an average annual drop of 1.8 per cent from 2002 to 2005 of death rates. However, not all types of cancers saw such positive trends. Reports of new cases have gone up for myeloma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, melanoma and cancers of the liver, kidney and esophagus. Every year, about 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer, and approximately 560,000 die from it. Dr. Otis W. Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society said, "The drop in incidence is something we have been waiting to see for a long time, [and] the continuing drop in mortality is evidence once again of real progress made against cancer, reflecting real gains in prevention, early detection and treatment."
For the complete article, click on Aggressive Cancer Treatment, Prevention Efforts Drop Cancer Rates.
Electrical Pulses Can Cure Tumors
26 November 2008
Doctors at Alfred Hospital in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia are developing a new method in which two needles are inserted into the tissue surrounding the tumor. Then high-voltage electricity is passed through for 45 seconds. This treatment has, so far, been successful in animal models, and patients with liver and kidney cancer. It can also help with tumors that would have required risky surgery that would leave the patient weak and in pain.
For the complete article, click on Electrical Pulses Can Cure Tumors.
Tripeptide Tyroserleutide plus Doxorubicin: Therapeutic Synergy and Side Effect Attenuation
25 November 2008
Tripeptide tyroserleutide (YSL) is a small molecule, anti-tumor polypeptide that has been shown to inhibit the growth of human liver cancer cells. This study investigated the effects of YSL and doxorubicin, an antibiotic used as an anti-cancer drug, on human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells in mice. The results showed that YSL, along with doxorubicin increased survival time in mice that had HCC, compared to the use of doxorubicin alone. This combination also decreased chemotherapy-associated weight loss, leukocyte depression, and heart, liver, and kidney damage as compared to doxorubicin alone.
For the complete article, click on Tripeptide Tyroserleutide plus Doxorubicin: Therapeutic Synergy and Side Effect Attenuation.
Philadelphia Conference Explores the Severity of Hepatitis B in Asian Communities
25 November 2008
The Hepatitis B Foundation, in partnership with the Center for Asian Health of Temple University, the Asian Community Cancer Coalition and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, sponsored a conference to educate community health and outreach professionals about the impact of hepatitis B and liver cancer among Asian communities in Philadelphia. Their primary goal was not only to raise awareness of the fact that 1 out of 10 Asian
Americans are chronically infected with hepatitis B, but also to call people to action and to work together to address the problem through their existing health and social service programs. Hepatitis B is the most common liver infection in the world affecting 2 billion people. In the U.S. alone, it is estimated that up to 2 million Americans suffer from chronic hepatitis B, and Asian Americans account for more than half of those afflicted.
For the complete article, click on Philadelphia Conference Explores the Severity of Hepatitis B.
HIV Linked to Certain Cancers
19 November 2008
Research has shown that people with HIV are at a much higher risk, than the average person, to develop certain cancers including lung cancer, liver cancer, head and neck cancer. An epidemiologist at John Hopkins showed that patients with HIV are twice as likely. Based on these findings, doctors are now concerned that a cancer epidemic may afflict this group of people. The more common cancers that are showing up are ones that are known to be caused by viruses. For example, anal, head and neck cancers have been associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV), and liver cancer has been linked to hepatitis.
For the complete article, click on HIV Linked to Certain Cancers.
Cigarette Smoking, Hepatitis C Virus Synergistic in Raising Liver Cancer Risk
19 November 2008
According to the team at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, a link has been found between smoking and the hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. A man with HCV has a 136-fold increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). They have also found a link between HCV, heavy alcohol consumption, and HCC in women. Non-cigarette smokers who were exposed to second-hand smoke showed no threat to the contraction of HCC.
For the complete article, click on Cigarette Smoking, Hepatitis C Virus Synergistic in Raising Liver Cancer Risk.
Scientists Use New Approach to Hunt Down Cancer-Causing Genes
18 November 2008
Researchers at Cold Springs Harbour Laboratory in New York identified missing genes in 100 human liver cancers, assuming that some of these genes could act as tumor suppressors. They then transplanted engineered cells into mice to observe which genes, when faulty, could be linked to tumor development. Out of 362 possible genes, scientists narrowed it down to 13 genes, when faulty or missing, can lead to liver cancer. Scott Lowe, a researcher at Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute discovered that two of the genes are responsible for the production of particular proteins, which could possibly lead to new anti-cancer therapies.
For the complete article, click on Scientists Use New Approach to Hunt Down Cancer-Causing Genes.
Liver, Thyroid Cancer Rates Increasing in Canada: Report
17 November 2008
Loraine Marrett and her colleagues of Cancer Care Ontario published findings in which the average incidence of liver cancer has increased by 2.7 percent a year for men between 1995 and 2004. The increasing rate is related to the prevalence of hepatitis B and C infections. In Europe and the United States, it is estimated that about 22 percent of primary liver cancers are attributable to hepatitis B infection and 60 percent to hepatitis C infection, the researchers said. They also stated that "This may, in part, be because of changing patterns of immigration, whereby an increasing proportion of the population was born in countries where hepatitis B is endemic or where exposure to liver toxins, such as aflatoxin [related species of fungus commonly found as a contaminant moldy grains and meals] are common."
For the complete article, click on Liver, Thyroid Cancer Rates Increasing in Canada.
