The Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida is seeking patients who have primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) that has spread to other organs or is too advanced to be treated by surgery and must have had prior chemotherapy treatments.
The said patients are being recruited by Moffitt for the phase II study of the oral medication AZD6244 — an experimental anti-cancer drug that may stop the growth of cancer cells and is designed to block the pathway of a protein called MEK (important for cell survival).
According to Dr. Chris R. Garrett, principal investigator with Moffitt’s Gastrointestinal Oncology program:
“There’s no cure for …read more

According to a new meta-analysis of observational studies, regular and high coffee drinking may reduce the risk of live cancer by as much as 55 percent.
Liver cancer is the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world and third most common cause of death from cancer.
In the past year, the wonders of drinking coffee have continuously been being uncovered, the most recent (I found) being the benefit of caffeine in the cognitive decline of older women.
Now, in the reduction of liver cancer risk — as published in the August issue of Hepatology:
…”an increase of one cup of coffee every day …read more

I don’t. Even though I have been eating fish my whole life. Not even the popular Japanese delicacy – sushi or sashimi it is called right?
Some fisherfolks here in my region eat raw fish direct from the sea – alone or vinegared. It is quite a delicacy – it is just that I am quite queasy with anything raw or medium rare.
Anyway, while fish is a cancer-friendly food, people should still be careful of what raw fish they eat especially if there are headlines out there that says: worms in fish can cause liver cancer.
The fish in question …read more

Ever wondered by liver cancer is more prevalent in men than women? Women have estrogen to thank for.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) — a devastating complication of chronic liver disease and inflammation caused by risk factors such as hepatitis B and C viruses, or alcoholic liver disease — makes up the majority of liver cancers in humans.
Overall, men are three to five times more likely to develop HCC than women; however, in individuals who are under 50, HCC is seen seven to 10 times more frequently in men.
The protein called interleukin-6 (IL-6) contributes to the chronic liver inflammation that leads to cancer. …read more

Found in green leafy vegetables, chick peas and lentils – folate – is already known to reduce the risk of neural tube defects (NTD) (most commonly spina bifida and anencephaly) in infants when taken in the first trimester of pregnancy.
This association has led to increased fortification of folic acid (the synthetic counterpart of folate) in various food products.
Now, a low folate diet may increase the risk of developing liver cancer, according to a study based in China –suggesting additional potential of folic acid fortification.
As reported in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention:
”…low folate levels may be linked to liver …read more

Developed by University of Navarra School of Pharmacy researcher Leire Garcia Navarro is a new treatment that slows down the growth of colon and liver cancers.
The specialist worked on designing non-viral systems which act directly upon the liver and the colon. In this manner, she prepared, optimized and evaluated, in vitro and in vivo, a new pharmaceutical format called ‘lipopolyplex.’
This compound aids the genetic material in penetrating into the damaged cells, and allows drug release in tumorous organs.
The new drug has been shown to slow tumor growths in mice.
Find more details from the Basque Research news.

Presented Monday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the cure for liver cancer in Sorafenib.
Phase III clinical trial data of this miracle pill revealed that chances of survival from final stage liver cancer is increased by 44% or about three months life extension.
Final stage liver cancer is deadly and currently patients suffering this condition have no treatment option.
Sorafenib is a pill that directly targets malignant cancer cells and cuts off the blood supply feeding the tumour and has been found in a large scale multinational trial, conducted by researchers from the Mount Sinai School of …read more

At the moment, let me first direct you to interesting blog posts relating to cancer:
Ruth Schaffer discussed snake venom toxin that can inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells and the blood DNA test for early detection of liver cancer at The Biotech Weblog; fruit and vegetables reduce the risk of head and neck cancer at Eating Fabulous.
Kate Baggott wrote about breastfeeding reduces breast cancer risk at Babylune.
Beauty blogger Christina Jones asks the question: to tan or not to tan at e-Beauty Daily (a pretty important question to those at risk of skin cancer).
Last but not least, Veggie Chic tells …read more

For the first time, MDS Nordion’s innovative primary liver cancer treatment TheraSphere® have been used in India.
MDS Nordion is a leading global provider of medical isotopes and radiopharmaceuticals (used to diagnose and treat diseases) and is one of 89 Ontario-based companies and organizations participating in a trade mission to India, organized by the Government of Ontario.

Three patients were the first to be treated for primary liver cancer in India using TheraSphere®
Two of the successful infusions were conducted at the Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre.
The third was performed at the Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre. Both centres are located in Mumbai, India. …read more

According to the results of a new double blind study published in the January 2007 issue of Hepatology (the official journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)), long-acting octreotide does not improve outcomes for patients with liver cancer as compared to placebo.
Also known as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), liver cancer is a common malignancy with very few treatment options.
Liver transplant or resection can potentially cure the condition, but most patients are inoperable once they are diagnosed.
In search for more minimally invasive treatments, previous studies suggested that short-acting octreotide could improve survival for patients with HCC while …read more