From October 17 to 19, 2024, in the season of golden autumn, the 18th International Liver Cancer Association (ILCA) Annual Conference was successfully held. This grand event attracted numerous top experts and scholars from around the world, who gathered to engage in in-depth exchanges and lively discussions on topics such as fundamental scientific research, screening, diagnosis, and the latest treatment progress in liver cancer. During this ILCA conference, we had the special opportunity to interview the current ILCA Chair, Dr. Tim Meyer from the Royal Free Hospital at University College London, UK.Dr. Tim Meyer emphasized that the ILCA conference, as an interdisciplinary exchange platform, has always prioritized improving patient care as its core objective, committed to advancing liver cancer research, and providing patients with more precise and effective treatment options. This year's conference revealed the latest dynamics and directions in the field of liver cancer treatment. Dr. Meyer highlighted that the organic combination of systemic therapy, immunotherapy, and local regional treatments is leading liver cancer treatment to new heights, particularly in prolonging progression-free survival. However, he also noted that there remain challenges in the pursuit of precision treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma, requiring ongoing exploration and effort.Q1: Could you introduce some of the key topics or highlights of this ILCA conference?
Dr. Tim Meyer: The International Liver Cancer Association (ILCA) is a prominent multidisciplinary association that brings together experts and scholars from around the world, united in the research and treatment of liver cancer. As an interdisciplinary platform, ILCA aims to attract all disciplines involved in liver cancer treatment, including surgery, internal medicine, radiology, pathology, and more. By promoting collaboration and exchange among different disciplines, ILCA hopes to advance liver cancer research and provide patients with more comprehensive and effective treatment plans.
Participants at the conference will have the opportunity to gain a broad understanding, from fundamental scientific research on liver cancer to screening, diagnosis, and the latest treatments. At the ILCA conference, attendees not only listen to captivating presentations from experts across disciplines but can also take part in various forms of academic exchange, such as panel discussions, working groups, and case sharing sessions. These activities aim to foster in-depth interaction among attendees, to collectively explore the latest advancements and future trends in liver cancer treatment.
The theme of ILCA consistently revolves around the core goal of improving patient care quality. ILCA believes that through multidisciplinary management, patients can receive more comprehensive and personalized treatment options, thereby enhancing treatment outcomes and quality of life. Therefore, ILCA is dedicated to promoting the philosophy and practice of multidisciplinary collaboration, encouraging specialists from various disciplines to contribute their expertise in liver cancer treatment, and working together to provide better care for patients.
Q2: In your opinion, what significant breakthroughs have been achieved in the field of liver cancer research in recent years, and how have these impacted clinical practice?
Dr. Tim Meyer: I believe that in recent years, the main progress in liver cancer treatment has undoubtedly been reflected in systemic therapy. This breakthrough has brought us new treatment strategies that have significantly improved patient outcomes.
Looking back, we have made considerable strides in systemic treatment for liver cancer. The emergence of tyrosine kinase inhibitors marked a significant step forward in molecular-targeted therapy. Sorafenib, the first tyrosine kinase inhibitor to be widely used in clinical practice, brought new hope to countless liver cancer patients. Later, the advent of newer tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as lenvatinib, further enriched our treatment options and improved treatment effectiveness.
In recent years, with the rapid development of immunology, immunotherapy has gradually become a new focus in liver cancer treatment. Combination therapy strategies involving immunotherapy, particularly in conjunction with targeted drugs, have shown remarkable efficacy. This novel treatment approach has not only significantly improved patient response rates but also extended survival, bringing new hope to liver cancer treatment.
Currently, these advanced systemic treatment methods are gradually being integrated with local regional therapies and surgery for early-stage liver cancer. Although the data is still immature, and further clinical trials and follow-ups are needed to verify their efficacy and safety, this trend undoubtedly heralds a new era in liver cancer treatment. In this era, we will have more and more effective treatment options, providing patients with more personalized and precise treatment plans to help them better combat the disease and regain health.
Q3: Through the sharing and exchange at this conference, what profound impacts do you believe will affect the future treatment of liver cancer?
Dr. Tim Meyer: I think that over the past 12 months, research in liver cancer treatment has made remarkable progress. The combination of systemic therapy, immunotherapy, and local regional therapies has been particularly noteworthy, achieving encouraging results in progression-free survival. However, we must remain cautious, as the current data mainly focuses on progression-free survival, and data on overall survival is still maturing.
Adjuvant immunotherapy was also a research hotspot, but initial promising signals were not sufficiently supported by subsequent research, so further effort is needed to develop effective adjuvant therapies. Overall, while progress has been made, there is still substantial work to be done in the field of liver cancer treatment, requiring continuous efforts to provide patients with better treatment options.
Q4: With the development of precision medicine and personalized treatment, what new challenges and opportunities does the field of liver cancer treatment face?
Dr. Tim Meyer: I believe that liver cancer treatment varies by type. For hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of liver cancer, there are some challenges. So far, we have not identified any actionable gene mutations or molecular-level changes that could clearly guide treatment.
However, the situation is different in cholangiocarcinoma. Although cholangiocarcinoma has a relatively lower incidence, it has shown more possibilities in treatment. We have identified some actionable gene mutations for cholangiocarcinoma patients, which serve as an important basis for developing treatment strategies. For these specific gene mutations, corresponding drugs have already been approved and applied in clinical treatment, marking substantial progress for precision oncology in cholangiocarcinoma treatment.
Therefore, we can say that precision oncology is already feasible in the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma, but for hepatocellular carcinoma, more effort and exploration are still required. In the future, as scientific and technological advances and research deepen, we hope to discover more gene mutations and molecular changes related to hepatocellular carcinoma, thereby providing strong support for developing more precise and effective treatment strategies.
Q5: Do you have any advice or encouragement for young liver cancer researchers or clinicians to help them achieve greater success in this field?
Dr. Tim Meyer: I believe liver cancer is a promising and challenging branch of cancer research, and the field is currently highly active, with numerous remarkable scientific advancements already made. Therefore, I sincerely encourage young researchers to actively engage in liver cancer research and work together to further improve patient treatment outcomes. It is worth noting that liver cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and its prognosis is still relatively severe compared to other types of cancer. To effectively improve the prognosis for liver cancer patients, we still need to make significant efforts and conduct more in-depth research.
