Groundbreaking research in Catalonia to treat one of the most aggressive liver cancers
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma was until now an orphan cancer from a molecular point of view. Some 400 cases are diagnosed in Spain each year.
By Biocat
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, the second most common liver tumor and one with one of the worst prognoses, could be effectively treated in the coming years. The August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), a center associated with Hospital Clínic Barcelona, is conducting research that has led to the molecular classification of this tumor and to the establishment of two subclasses, one more aggressive than the other and with different traits.
The study, which is groundbreaking on an international level, has analyzed tumor tissue from 150 patients and studied the most important genetic alterations in this type of cancer. The results of the first part of the study explain the biological behavior of the tumor. Based on this discovery, researchers will delve deeper into its sensitivity to possible pharmacological treatments and will design a personalized therapy geared towards each specific molecular alteration. The study is also noteworthy because it will allow scientists to establish risk factors and genetic predisposition. The second part of the study will last approximately four years.
The study is led by Dr. Josep Maria Llovet, president of the International Liver Cancer Association (ILCA) and ICREA research fellow at IDIBAPS, where he conducts and coordinates the bulk of the study. Llovet receives support from two of the top international liver-cancer treatment centers: Mount Sinai in New York and the National Cancer Institute in Milan.
The Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) in Barcelona, through their scientific foundation, is funding the study with €1.2 millions between 2011 and 2016. Juli de Miquel and Àngela Sánchez Martorell, president and manager of AECC in Barcelona respectively, argue that the role of this institution is also geared towards “supporting research and knowledge in orphan cancers, for which it is particularly necessary to identify therapeutic targets.”
The number of diagnosed cases of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma has risen 10% per year over the past decade. In Spain, between 400 and 500 cases are diagnosed each year, and only 40% of these patients can be treated surgically. The five-year survival rate is between 20% and 40%.