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Over 840,000 people are diagnosed with liver cancer every year. It is the eighth most common oncology among men and the ninth most common among women. Since the 1980s, the prevalence has tripled and the mortality rate has doubled. There is a limited number of treatment options for patients with liver cancer in advanced stages.
In 2020, the FDA approved a new treatment protocol, which efficacy exceeds the previous ones. Find out from our article what the drug is, how it works, and which clinics use it.
A new standard for liver cancer treatment
The new protocol uses a combination of two immunotherapy drugs to combat hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of liver cancer. It’s the first breakthrough in a decade. Before that, the last drug to be introduced was approved in 2007. It was an anti-tumour agent that suppresses the growth of malignancies.
The doctors who conducted the study consider the new method of treatment to be revolutionary. This therapy not only significantly increases patients’ life expectancy, but also preserves its quality.
Now that the FDA has approved this treatment, it will be used in cancer centres around the world. The support of reputable international medical organizations such as the FDA or EMA is an indicator that the drug is effective and safe.
Read: What is hepatocellular carcinoma?
Liver cancer is one of the few that is increasing in prevalence. It causes over 700,000 deaths worldwide every year.
Hepatocellular carcinoma makes up 85-90% of all liver cancer cases. It occurs most often in people with chronic liver diseases such as cirrhosis or hepatitis C.
Patients may find it difficult to detect carcinoma in time, as most symptoms are the same as those of existing liver disease. Most often, cancer patients complain about liver pain and dysfunction (enlarged spleen, yellowing of the skin and eyes, etc.).
Standard treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma
For each patient with liver cancer, the doctor chooses an individual treatment plan. It depends on the stage of the disease, the patient’s condition, the location and individual characteristics of the tumour, the presence of metastases, drug tolerance. Compared to other types of cancer, there are few cancer protocols for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Although there are several ways to control tumour growth, the only option to achieve complete remission at a later stage is liver transplantation.
Hepatocellular carcinoma is treated with:
Tumour removal surgeries;
Liver transplant;
Chemotherapy;
Radiation therapy;
Cryoablation;
Radioablation;
Alcoholic ablation;
Radio wave ablation;
Target therapy;
Immune therapy.
The most unfavourable prognosis is in patients with liver cancer at advanced stages and with metastases. Such aggressive tumours are more resistant to standard treatment methods. The five-year survival rate in liver cancer after conservative treatment is 41-74%.
How does the new therapy work?
The new course of treatment consists of taking two immune drugs simultaneously. Both belong to the same group of medications but have different therapeutic effects.
Atezolizumab can recognize and block the special proteins the tumour releases to protect itself from the T cells of the immune system. This allows the body to destroy malignancies on its own.
Bevacizumab blocks blood from accessing the tumour, so it stops growing and spreading metastases.
By using two drugs with different mechanisms of action, doctors have managed to increase the susceptibility of patients to treatment and to extend the effectiveness of therapy compared to past treatment standards.
Effectiveness of the therapy
Decrease in mortality by 42%;
Decrease in the probability of disease progression by 41%;
Tumour control in 70% of patients;
Tumour reduction in twice more patients than before.
How was the research done?
To test the effectiveness of the therapy, doctors conducted studies in several oncology centres in different countries. Over 500 patients with inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma took part in them. Many also had metastases. Two-thirds of participants took a new combination of drugs, while the rest were undergoing standard treatment.
A year after the study began, doctors compared the two groups. In the one that was being treated under the new protocol, the number of survivors was 12.6% higher.
Side effects
Treatment of cancer in advanced stages requires aggressive therapy, which comes with side effects. They can be partially or completely controlled with additional treatment. With combined immunotherapy, negative reactions are observed in most patients. The most common ones are:
High pressure;
Elevated protein content in urine;
Weakness;
Itchiness;
Diarrhoea;
High temperature.
Compared to the previous standard of treatment, the number and severity of side effects do not differ.
A survivor’s story
Stephen Warnock is a 62-year-old retiree from the United States, who was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2018. At the time, he felt there was no hope. The cancer was diagnosed at a late stage and radiotherapy courses proved useless – the tumour continued to grow. By the end of summer, it began to spread to the blood vessels. Stephen believed there was nothing he could do.
However, he was advised to seek a second medical opinion. Stephen remembered a clinic where many years ago his father was helped to defeat bone cancer. The doctors at this hospital invited the man to take part in testing a new treatment program, and he agreed.
“I didn’t believe I could survive this until I went to another oncologist. He convinced me that there was a chance for recovery. I was very lucky to be able to get into the trial program.”
Steven started immunotherapy in the fall. In the two years that have passed since then, the tumour has stopped growing. The doctors managed to stabilize the disease and save the man’s life.
“I’m so glad I was able to get to this study. The drugs are really working, and I’m very lucky because, with my diagnosis, there are few treatment options…”
Which clinics offer immunotherapy to treat liver cancer?
Specialized oncology centres are best suited for treating late-stage cancer. Among their advantages are modern equipment, accurate imaging methods, multidisciplinary teams of doctors who specialize in a specific type of cancer. The percentage of patients who reach remission is always higher in such centres.
Some of the best-reviewed clinics are:
the network of Liv clinics (Turkey);
Memorial Healthcare Group (Turkey);
Assuta Clinic (Israel);
Sheba Medical Center (Israel);;
Quironsalud Hospitals Group (Spain);
Teknon Clinic (Spain);
Rechts der Isar Clinic (Germany);
Helios Medical Center (Germany);
Soon Chun Hyang Hospital (South Korea);
Fuda Hospital (China).
The cost of medicines abroad does not differ much, but the full price of treatment depends on many factors: diagnostic tests, length of stay in the hospital, complexity of treatment procedures, the qualifications of doctors, hospital pricing policy, the economic level of the country. In general, treatment in clinics of Turkey, South Korea and China will cost less.
Resume
A hepatocellular carcinoma is a severe form of liver cancer. Most often it occurs together with already existing diseases – cirrhosis, hepatitis C, etc. There are few options to treat malignant hepatoma in the late stages.
In 2020, the FDA approved a new protocol for the treatment of liver cancer in advanced stages. It combines two immunotherapeutic drugs. Studies show that the drugs used are more effective than previous treatments.
The new protocol allows stopping the growth of the tumour, increasing the duration and quality of life of the patient. The number of patients whose disease has stopped progressing is twice as high as in the previous treatment protocols. The mortality rate has decreased by 42%.
You can already undergo the course of liver cancer treatment in the most innovative clinics of Turkey, Israel, Germany, Spain, South Korea, and China.
If you have questions about liver cancer treatment abroad, our professional coordinators can help you. Leave your application online by clicking on the “Get a free consultation” button. They will help you better understand this issue, find a clinic for treatment abroad and organize a trip.
