Augusto Villanueva, MD, PhD
Associate Professor
Liver Cancer Program - Tisch Cancer Institute
Divisions of Liver Diseases / Hematology and Medical Oncology - Department of Medicine
Title: "Molecular monitoring of liver cancer”
Description of the talk: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a global health problem. The WHO estimates that by 2030 there will be 1 million deaths due to liver cancer worldwide. The prognosis for patients with HCC diagnosed in advanced stages is limited, with an average of 2 years, even with newly approved treatments. Early diagnosis remains the most effective tool to increase the survival of HCC patients. Screening programs, which recommend abdominal ultrasound and alpha-fetoprotein every 6 months, have a sensitivity of 63% for the diagnosis of HCC in the initial, potentially curable stage. Only 25% of patients at high risk of HCC are enrolled in a screening program. The development of new technologies based on liquid biopsy can improve these data. It is estimated that the analysis of circulating DNA or exosomes has a sensitivity greater than 80% to detect HCC in the initial stage. This, coupled with its easy implementation, can revolutionize HCC screening. Beyond this indication, there are studies that demonstrate the high predictive power of this technology to identify patients who respond to systemic therapies, especially immunotherapy.
Hosted by Dr. Robert Schwabe