Línies de recerca

• 1. Epidemiology and risk factors for liver cancer

  It is key to stratify patients according to their cancer risk to ensure cost-effective screening programs.

• 2. Diagnosis and staging

  The aim is to allow a high diagnostic accuracy for very early liver cancer as well as an accurate evaluation of tumor burden with prognosis prediction.

• 3. Surgery for liver cancer

  Resection and transplantation are established options, but there is need to increase the number of candidates for resection through an improved preservation of liver function, while the criteria for liver transplant need to be redefined according to improved understanding of tumor biology.

• 4. Locoregional therapy

  Ablation and chemoembolization are effective but novel technologies should increase their efficacy while ensuring optimal safety.

• 5. Adjuvant therapy

  Prevention of recurrence is an unmet need after surgery, ablation and chemoembolization. Stratified risk prediction through tumor markers, tissue profiling and imaging assessment is instrumental for trial design and analysis.

• 6. Systemic therapy

  1st and 2nd line options are now available for hepatocellular carcinoma, but the role and benefit of immunotherapy is still not established. Combination trials and add-on strategies are ongoing.

• 7. Intrahepatic colangiocarcinoma

  The incidence of this cancer is increasing and there is major need to develop novel tools for diagnosis, prognosis prediction and treatment. Clinical trials are run for all disease stages and they will allow progress in all issues.

• 8. Rare hepatic tumors

  Hepatic adenoma, focal nodular hyperplasia, epithelioid hemangioendothelioma and several other unfrequent tumors need research about their oncogenic mechanims as well as a personalised approach for treatment. International networks will be instrumental to advance in this field.

• 9. Research in Nursing

  Patient education is key to improve treatment adherence and safety. Educational programs for each specific condition and therapy are needed tools to empower patients as part of the health care team and allow them to take informed decisions and, ultimately, evaluate their impact in outcomes.