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.

Study finds heartburn as a common condition in Iceland

Heartburn is a signature symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which is a cluster of symptoms and signs associated with regurgitation of stomach acid up to the pharynx and mouth. Patient-based studies of GERD have shown high prevalence and chronicity, particularly in Western societies. GERD is associated with significant health-care utilization and diminished quality of life.

8 Feb 2011

Fast track rehabilitation program effective after colorectal surgery

The concept of fast track rehabilitation program has been recently introduced in colorectal surgery. It is basically a multidisciplinary perioperative care strategy for patients after resection of colorectal cancer.

8 Feb 2011

Study on non-surgical approach for treatment of liver hydatidosis

Concerning treatment, until recently the only definitive treatment for hydatid disease had been surgery. Different surgical techniques and procedures have been carried out and even in some cases, a liver transplant has been required. Advances in drug therapy has been influenced by the introduction of albendazole and accelerated by addition of praziquantel, but this requires a long period of treatment i.e. up to a year or more, and is not effective for everyone.

8 Feb 2011

American Cancer Society report released on World Cancer Day

A new American Cancer Society report says cancers associated with lifestyles and behaviors related to economic development, including lung, breast, and colorectal cancers, will continue to rise in developing countries if preventive measures are not widely applied. The finding comes from the second edition of Global Cancer Facts & Figures and its academic publication, Global Cancer Statistics, published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

4 Feb 2011

More needs to be done globally to fight cancer

WHILE cancer statistics for the last 10 years make encouraging reading, more needs to be done globally to fight the killer disease.

4 Feb 2011

Octreotide inhibits HepG2 proliferation, study confirms

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common malignancy in the world and is estimated to cause approximately half a million deaths annually. Undoubtedly, the best available treatment for all liver tumors is complete surgical resection. However, the synthetic somatostatin analogue octreotide has been found effective in inhibiting tumor growth in a variety of experimental models. It has been reported that octreotide inhibits the proliferation and induces apoptosis of different HCC cell lines in vitro.

1 Feb 2011

Study finds E2F5 transcription factor commonly overexpressed in primary human HCC

E2F5 is a member of the E2F transcription factor family, and plays a key role in cell growth and proliferation. Overexpression of E2F5 has been reported in various human cancers, but not in liver cancer, and its biological implication is largely unknown. It is not known whether E2F5 plays a tumor suppressor role or an oncogenic role.

1 Feb 2011

Researchers propose new classification system for SOD

Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction is a pathological syndrome that is usually classified into the biliary type or the pancreatic type according to the Milwaukee criteria.

1 Feb 2011

Research sheds new light on venous thromboembolism following liver resections

Patients undergoing liver surgery have long been considered to be at low risk of venous thromboembolism. However, pulmonary embolism has recently emerged as an increasingly frequent and potentially fatal complication following liver resections.

1 Feb 2011

$FDA grants Onyx fast track designation for carfilzomib in treatment of relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma$

FDA grants Onyx fast track designation for carfilzomib in treatment of relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma

Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted fast track designation for carfilzomib, a next generation proteasome inhibitor for the potential treatment of patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma.

1 Feb 2011

FDA approves Boston Scientific's Renegade HI-FLO Fathom Pre-Loaded System

Boston Scientific Corporation today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its Renegade HI-FLO Fathom Pre-Loaded System for selective access and delivery of diagnostic, embolic and therapeutic materials into the peripheral vasculature.

1 Feb 2011

MRI T2 can determine iron overload in beta-thalassemic patients

Iron overload is a common and serious problem in thalassemic major patients. As iron accumulation is toxic in the body's tissues, accurate estimation of iron stores is of great importance in these patients to prevent iron overload by an appropriate iron chelating therapy.

1 Feb 2011

Researchers study peripheral blood Tregs as disease marker of gastric cancer

T-regulatory lymphocytes are a subset of T lymphocytes that are involved in the mechanism of immunotolerance to self- and allo-antigens. Activity of these cells is one of the mechanisms of immune evasion of tumors, which inhibits the antitumor activity of effector cells.

1 Feb 2011

Provectus announces completion of PV-10 Phase 1 trial in patients with liver cancer

Provectus Pharmaceuticals, a development-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company, has completed patient accrual and treatment of all subjects in its Phase 1 clinical trial of PV-10 for liver cancer.

27 Jan 2011

Fibroblasts help 'recruit' immune cells for tumor growth

The most common connective tissue cell in animals is the fibroblast, which plays an important role in healing wounds. But Dr. Neta Erez of Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine has now demonstrated that fibroblasts can also do a body great harm, helping to "recruit" immune cells for tumor growth.

27 Jan 2011

Survival following transplant surgery for liver cancer not impacted by HIV-positive status

French researchers determined that infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) impaired results of transplant surgery for liver cancer, with more HIV infected patients dropping off the transplantation wait list. The team found that overall survival and recurrence-free survival was not impacted following liver transplantation in patients with controlled HIV disease.

25 Jan 2011

FDA accepts Vertex's telaprevir NDA for six-month Priority Review

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the New Drug Application (NDA) for telaprevir and granted the company's request for six-month Priority Review. Telaprevir is Vertex's lead medicine in development for people with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C.

20 Jan 2011

Scientists identify prognostic biomarker to treat patients with HCV

Scientists at Inserm and Institut Pasteur have performed biomarker discovery on patients being treated for chronic hepatitis C infection. Their work, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, demonstrates that the plasma levels of the protein IP-10 predict, prior to treatment initiation, the efficacy of treatment with pegylated-interferon and ribavirin.

6 Jan 2011

Alnylam presents ALN-VSP Phase I trial results for liver cancer

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, a leading RNAi therapeutics company, today presented new clinical data from its ALN-VSP Phase I liver cancer trial in a presentation at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Results from molecular analysis of human biopsy samples showed achievement of pharmacologically relevant siRNA drug levels in tissues.

5 Jan 2011

Vicus initiates VT-122 Phase 2 trial in advanced liver cancer, systemic inflammation and cachexia

Vicus Therapeutics, LLC, today announced the initiation of a Phase 2 trial evaluating VT-122, a novel investigational combination of etodolac and propranolol, and Nexavar® (sorafenib) tablets, as a potential new treatment option for patients with advanced liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma), systemic inflammation and cachexia.

28 Dec 2010