At a time when liver cancer rates are set to skyrocket, UF and Toronto surgeons have more clearly defined which patients might actually benefit. Interestingly, researchers found that tumor size or the number of tumors had no effect on how well patients fared after transplant. Instead, patients were likely to do well unless tumors had invaded blood vessels within the liver. Researchers reported their findings in the May issue of the Annals of Surgery . That's a cure rate that is better than surgically removing tumors and as good as results for anyone else we're transplanting.
Experts expect the number of patients diagnosed with liver cancer to soar in the next decade.
That's due to the increasing incidence of hepatitis C, a virus that permanently scars the liver and paves the way for the development of malignancies years after infection. More than 170 million people worldwide are infected with hepatitis C, which can silently attack the liver for decades before routine medical tests discover the damage. Up to half will develop cancer. Hepatitis C, considered the most serious of the five viruses in the hepatitis family, typically causes chronic inflammation of the liver, leading to scarring, liver cancer or liver failure. The disease is the most common reason liver transplants are conducted in the United States, independent of its association with liver cancer.