Predicting Spread of Liver Cancer

Author: Journal of Clinical Investigation
Published: 2011/02/02
Category Topic: Liver - Related Publications

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main

Synopsis: Potential biomarker for predicting future metastasis in patients with the most common form of liver cancer.

Introduction

Patients with cancer usually do not die as a result of their originally diagnosed tumor. However, many do so as a result of metastatic disease - tumors that arise at distant sites after spreading from the original tumor.

Main Content

Identifying biomarkers of tumor metastasis would therefore be of immense clinical benefit.

In this context, a team of researchers - led by Peng Loh, at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; and Ronnie Poon, at the The University of Hong Kong, China - has now identified a potential biomarker for predicting future metastasis in patients with the most common form of liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC]).

Specifically, the team found that quantification of the mRNA template for a truncated version of the protein carboxypeptidase E (CPE) in HCC patient samples predicted intrahepatic metastasis with high sensitivity and specificity.

They therefore suggest that this truncated protein could be a powerful biomarker for predicting future metastasis in patients with HCC and thereby be of use to clinicians, helping guide therapeutic decisions.