Liver Cancer News and Research

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Liver cancer is more common in older people. Over half of people newly diagnosed with liver cancer are age 65 and over. Liver cancer is more common in men than in women. Liver cancer rates are highest among Asians and Pacific Islanders, most likely because of higher prevalence of viral Hepatitis infection. Liver cancer rates are lower among whites than Blacks or Asians and Pacific Islanders. At this time, we do not know exactly what causes cancer of the liver. There are several different types of liver cancer. The most common type is associated with long-term excessive alcoholic beverage use, scarring of the liver (cirrhosis), and Hepatitis B virus or Hepatitis C virus infection. Long-term use of anabolic steroids can also increase the risk of getting liver cancer. Smoking is also believed to increase the risk of getting liver cancer.

Signaling mechanisms responsible for HGF-induced CCA invasiveness: More insight

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a bile duct cancer, is one of the major cancers in Northeast Thailand. This cancer is difficult to diagnose and has high metastatic and mortality rates. Overexpression of Met, a hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) receptor, has frequently been found in CCA and is correlated with progression of this type of cancer.

5 Mar 2010

South West Liver Unit researchers receive grants for developing Hepatitis C vaccine

Researchers at the South West Liver Unit, based at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust and supported by the Peninsula Medical School, are working to save more lives and improve the health of Hepatitis C sufferers around the world by developing a vaccine for the disease.

5 Mar 2010

Enanta Pharmaceuticals nominates EDP-239 lead development candidate from NS5A HCV inhibitor program

Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today the nomination of lead development candidate, EDP-239, from its NS5A hepatitis C virus (HCV) inhibitor program. EDP-239 has demonstrated picomolar potency against multiple genotypes of the virus and a preclinical pharmacokinetic profile amenable to once-a-day dosing.

3 Mar 2010

Abbott and Enanta advance treatment for Hepatitis C

Abbott and Enanta Pharmaceuticals announced today the advancement of their Hepatitis C (HCV) collaboration into Phase 2 clinical trials.

2 Mar 2010

Celsion to commence Phase II Study of ThermoDox and RFA for CRLM

Celsion Corporation today announced that it will initiate a Randomized Phase II Study of Lyso-Thermosensitive Liposomal Doxorubicin (ThermoDox®) and Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) for Colorectal Liver Metastases (CRLM). Dr. Steven K. Libutti, Professor and Vice Chairman, Department of Surgery and Director of the Montefiore-Einstein Center for Cancer Care and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, will serve as Principal Investigator for the study.

2 Mar 2010

Short-term dose of losartan-M6PHSA reduces liver inflammation and fibrosis: Study

A recent study found that rats with advanced fibrosis that were administered a short-term dose of losartan-M6PHSA had reduced liver inflammation and fibrosis. Those animals treated with oral losartan alone did not experience a similar reduction in disease activity. Results of this study appear in the March issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

1 Mar 2010

Study shows ghrelin prevents acute liver damage, reduces oxidative stress and inflammation

Spanish researchers determined that rats treated with recombinant ghrelin displayed a reduction in liver fibrosis. Ghrelin, a stomach hormone, reduced the amount of fibrogenic cells by 25% in the treated rodents. Research further showed ghrelin prevented acute liver damage and reduced oxidative stress and inflammation in the animal models.

1 Mar 2010

Widely used biomarkers in early detection of liver cancer are not ideal: Study

Widely used biomarkers are not optimal in early detection of liver cancer, the third most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide, according to a new study published in this month's Gastroenterology.

26 Feb 2010

Combining DCP and AFP biomarkers may improve early detection of liver cancer

While biomarkers are needed to complement ultrasound in the early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; liver cancer), neither des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) nor the most widely used biomarker, alpha fetoprotein (AFP), is optimal, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute.

26 Feb 2010

Lack of knowledge and awareness impeding efforts to control HBV and HCV

A recent report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) confirmed that 3.5 to 5.3 million people (1-2 % of the U.S. population) have chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Despite efforts by federal, state and local government agencies to control and prevent these diseases, they remain a serious public health concern. The major factor impeding efforts to control HBV and HCV is lack of knowledge and awareness among health care providers, social service professionals, members of the public, and policy-makers.

24 Feb 2010

Sorafenib drug therapy can reduce the size of primary kidney tumors before surgery

More than 57,000 Americans face a diagnosis of kidney cancer each year. Now patients with advanced disease may soon have another treatment option. Physicians who conducted a pilot study at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center found that therapy before surgery with the drug sorafenib can reduce the size of large tumors and could be safely undertaken administered without adding significantly to the risks of surgery.

17 Feb 2010

Fourth-quarter and full-year 2009 results announced by Celsion

Celsion Corporation, a leading oncology drug development company, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2009. Management also highlighted the progress made in clinical trials of ThermoDox®, Celsion's heat activated liposomal encapsulation of doxorubicin, including the Company's pivotal Phase III trial for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of primary liver cancer, and recurrent chest wall breast cancer.

17 Feb 2010

LCA announces new internet link with renowned lung cancer research center in Zhuhai, China

Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) announced today a new internet link with a renown lung cancer research center at the 5th Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, in Zhuhai, China.

15 Feb 2010

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals' Cotara specifically targets solid tumors and anti-tumor activity

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (PPHM) today reported publication of data in the online edition of the journal Current Cancer Therapy Reviews that supports the clinical potential of the company's novel brain cancer agent Cotara® for the treatment of patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the deadliest form of brain cancer. Cotara specifically targets cells at the center of brain tumors, so its radioactive payload is able to kill cancer cells while leaving healthy tissue largely unaffected. Cotara is currently being tested in a Phase II clinical trial in recurrent GBM patients.

12 Feb 2010

New screening system developed to discover molecules that block HCV life cycle

A newly designed system of identifying molecules for treating hepatitis C should enable scientists to discover novel and effective therapies for the dangerous and difficult-to-cure disease of the liver, says Zhilei Chen, a Texas A&M University assistant professor of chemical engineering who helped develop the screening system.

12 Feb 2010

BioSphere Medical reports fourth-quarter and full-year 2009 results

BioSphere Medical, Inc. – the pioneer in the use of bioengineered microspheres to treat uterine fibroids, hypervascularized tumors and vascular malformations by a minimally invasive, image-guided medical procedure called embolotherapy – today reported financial results for the three and 12 months ended December 31, 2009.

10 Feb 2010

DMC recommends Celsion to continue its Phase III ThermoDox clinical trial for primary liver cancer

Celsion Corporation announced today that after reviewing safety data from 120 patients enrolled in the pivotal Phase III ThermoDox® clinical trial ("HEAT" trial) for primary liver cancer, the Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) has recommended that Celsion continue to enroll patients in the trial.

10 Feb 2010

Provectus Pharmaceuticals publishes article on novel treatment for metastatic melanoma

Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a development-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company, announces the publication of an article, entitled “A novel treatment for metastatic melanoma with intralesional rose bengal and radiotherapy: a case series," authored by Dr. Matthew C. Foote, Dr. Bryan H. Burmeister, Janine Thomas, and Dr. B. Mark Smithers, in the current issue of the peer-reviewed journal, Melanoma Research (20(1):48-51, February 2010).

10 Feb 2010

Insight into mechanism H. pylori uses to evade the immune system

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is the causal agent of chronic gastritis, ulcer and gastric cancer. It has the potential to persist in the human stomach for decades, sometimes causing neither harm nor clinical symptoms. Nevertheless, on some occasions, depending on the host immune system and the strain causing the infection, the outcome can be very serious. To maintain the infection, the bacterium must adapt to survive the host defences. One way to accomplish this is to sequentially change the external proteins on the bacterial surface.

10 Feb 2010

Study provides new data about potential risk of gastric cancer in patients with intestinal metaplasia

Gastric cancer remains a significant problem globally. The relationship between intestinal metaplasia (IM) and gastric cancer has always been controversial. Generally IM is divided into subtypes on the basis of histochemical characteristics; however, this classification is confusing.

10 Feb 2010

Liver Cancer News and Research

Further Reading

Signaling mechanisms responsible for HGF-induced CCA invasiveness: More insight

South West Liver Unit researchers receive grants for developing Hepatitis C vaccine

Enanta Pharmaceuticals nominates EDP-239 lead development candidate from NS5A HCV inhibitor program

Abbott and Enanta advance treatment for Hepatitis C

Celsion to commence Phase II Study of ThermoDox and RFA for CRLM

Short-term dose of losartan-M6PHSA reduces liver inflammation and fibrosis: Study

Study shows ghrelin prevents acute liver damage, reduces oxidative stress and inflammation

Widely used biomarkers in early detection of liver cancer are not ideal: Study

Combining DCP and AFP biomarkers may improve early detection of liver cancer

Lack of knowledge and awareness impeding efforts to control HBV and HCV

Sorafenib drug therapy can reduce the size of primary kidney tumors before surgery

Fourth-quarter and full-year 2009 results announced by Celsion

LCA announces new internet link with renowned lung cancer research center in Zhuhai, China

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals' Cotara specifically targets solid tumors and anti-tumor activity

New screening system developed to discover molecules that block HCV life cycle

BioSphere Medical reports fourth-quarter and full-year 2009 results

DMC recommends Celsion to continue its Phase III ThermoDox clinical trial for primary liver cancer

Provectus Pharmaceuticals publishes article on novel treatment for metastatic melanoma

Insight into mechanism H. pylori uses to evade the immune system

Study provides new data about potential risk of gastric cancer in patients with intestinal metaplasia

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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