Alpha Fetoprotein News and Research

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Combining ultrasound with blood test improves detection of liver cancer by 40%

Combining ultrasound imaging with a blood test for high alpha fetoprotein levels improves detection of early-stage liver cancer by as much as 40 percent, researchers at UT Southwestern's Simmons Cancer Center found.

11 Feb 2018

UT Southwestern oncologist highlights need to improve liver cancer screening rates

Patients with cirrhosis should be screened regularly for liver cancer, though few are – in part because busy physicians often don't order the screening tests, said UT Southwestern oncologists.

30 Jan 2018

New AASLD guideline focuses on improving diagnosis, treatment of liver cancer and NAFLD

A new Practice Guideline and Practice Guidance in Hepatology will help improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with liver cancer as well as patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which can lead to liver cancer and is characterized by the build-up of extra fat in liver cells often due to obesity and diabetes.

27 Jan 2018

Researchers develop new diagnostic and prognosis method for early detection of liver cancer

An international team of researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center, with colleagues at Sun Yet-sun University Cancer Center and other collaborating institutions, have developed a new diagnostic and prognosis method for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), based on a simple blood sample containing circulating tumor DNA.

9 Oct 2017

Cancer vaccines need to target immune fighters that can withstand battle against malicious tumors

Cancer vaccines may need to better target T cells that can hold up to the long fight against cancer, scientists report.

27 Sep 2017

MGH-developed CTC-iChip with digital PCR assay improves detection of early-stage liver cancer

Use of an advanced form of the commonly used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method to analyze circulating tumor cells (CTCs) may greatly increase the ability to diagnose early-stage cancer, increasing the likelihood of successful treatment.

20 Jan 2017

HCC predictors identified for chronic HBV patients with newly diagnosed cirrhosis

In patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection who have been newly diagnosed with cirrhosis, the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma development can be ascertained using several clinical and molecular factors, study findings indicate.

23 Jun 2016

Panel of microRNAs can predict patients at risk for developing HBV-driven liver cancer

Hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of liver cancer, is increasing in incidence in the United States, and infection with the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes about 50 percent of cases.

7 Jun 2016

The Lancet Oncology publishes results of CYRAMZA (ramucirumab) Phase III trial for HCC treatment

Eli Lilly and Company announced that The Lancet Oncology has published results of the Phase III REACH trial that evaluated CYRAMZA (ramucirumab) as a second-line treatment for people with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), also known as liver cancer. While the REACH trial's primary endpoint of overall survival favored the CYRAMZA arm, it was not statistically significant.

19 Jun 2015

MD Anderson researchers find significant clinical variations among liver cancer patients

Significant clinical variations exist among patients with the most common type of liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), depending on the viral cause of the disease -hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV). These differences suggest that hepatitis status should be considered when developing treatment plans for newly diagnosed patients, according to researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

14 May 2015

Non-coding RNAs in maternal food can pass through placenta to regulate fetal gene expression

In a new study published in the Protein & Cell, Chen-Yu Zhang's group at Nanjing University reports that small non-coding RNAs in maternal food can transfer through placenta to regulate fetal gene expression.

14 May 2015

New vaccine effective at preventing lung cancer in mice

Tweaking a protein expressed by most liver cancer cells has enabled scientists to make a vaccine that is exceedingly effective at preventing the disease in mice.

4 Jun 2014

Urine tests could improve diagnosis of liver cancer

New data from two clinical trials presented today at the International Liver Congress- 2013 demonstrate substantial improvements in the detection of both hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CC) using diagnostic urine tests.

26 Apr 2013

Shorter surveillance intervals detect HCC earlier

Hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance in at-risk patients at intervals of less than 6 months picks up smaller tumors compared with longer intervals, show two recently published studies.

28 Jan 2013

Recurrence risk can be identified before hepatectomy

Patients who are likely to experience disease recurrence after undergoing hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma can be identified by factors that are available preoperatively, indicate the results of a Hong Kong study.

31 Oct 2012

Estrogen may mediate low incidence of HCC in women

Study findings suggest that estrogen may have a suppressive effect on hepatocellular carcinoma, potentially explaining its lower incidence in women.

18 Jul 2012

Exelixis reports positive interim data from cabozantinib phase 2 trial on HCC

Exelixis, Inc. today reported positive updated interim data from the cohort of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients participating in the ongoing phase 2 randomized discontinuation trial (RDT) of cabozantinib.

4 Jun 2012

Positive preliminary data from Exelixis' cabozantinib phase 2 trial on HCC

Exelixis, Inc. today reported positive preliminary data from the cohort of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients participating in the ongoing phase 2 randomized discontinuation trial (RDT) of cabozantinib.

20 Jan 2012

Two studies uncover limitations in screening for hepatocellular carcinoma

Two studies available in the December issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, have uncovered limitations in screening for primary liver cancer, also known as hepatocellular carcinoma.

2 Dec 2011

Combination therapy improves outcomes for liver cancer patients: Study

A combination of an oral drug, called sorafenib, and a method for injecting microbeads of chemotherapy directly into tumors has been proven safe for liver cancer patients and may improve outcomes for those who have these fast-growing, deadly tumors whose numbers are on the rise in the U.S.

1 Oct 2011