interview

Liver cancer is one of the most prevalent and deadliest cancers in China. Due to the low early diagnosis rate of liver cancer in clinical practice, treatment options such as radical liver resection and transplantation face significant limitations. In recent years, there has been a surge in liver cancer genomics research, providing new insights into early diagnosis, patient stratification, and treatment prognosis. From July 6th to 8th, 2023, the 13th Asia-Pacific Primary Liver Cancer Expert Conference (APPLE 2023) was held in Seoul, South Korea. During the conference, Dr. Xinwei Wang from the U.S. National Cancer Institute gave a special lecture on "The Molecular Landscape and Clinical Significance of Liver Cancer." Hepatology Digest had the privilege of inviting Dr. Wang to share recent significant developments in this research field and delve into the potential applications and prospects of liver cancer genomics research for early diagnosis and prognosis prediction.

The 13th Asia-Pacific Primary Liver Cancer Expert Meeting (APPLE 2023) recently concluded in Seoul, South Korea, bringing together top experts in liver and biliary system tumors from around the world to discuss clinical hot topics and challenges. Dr. Huichuan Sun from Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China, shares and interprets the latest developments and frontiers, including the Asia-Pacific consensus and groundbreaking research with us.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies in China, with most patients diagnosed in the intermediate to advanced stages. The formation of portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) is a critical indicator of HCC progression, and patients with HCC combined with PVTT have a very poor prognosis. Previous studies have shown that low-dose radiotherapy can extend the survival of HCC patients with PVTT. From July 6th to 8th, 2023, the 13th Asia-Pacific Primary Liver Cancer Expert Meeting (APPLE 2023) was held in Seoul, South Korea. At the conference, a team led by Academician Jiahong Dong, Dr. Gong Li, and Dr. Keran Li from Beijing Tsinghua Chang Gung Hospital,  Tsinghua University, China, presented a clinical study (Abstract Number: PE-97), investigating whether PVTT is more sensitive to radiotherapy than the primary tumor and exploring the efficacy of downstaging treatment in HCC patients with PVTT through the combination of radiotherapy, anti-angiogenic medication, and immunotherapy. Hepatology Digest had the privilege of inviting Dr. Gong Li to share the results of this research and its clinical application prospects.

In recent years, there has been rapid progress in the systemic treatment of liver cancer, with new immunotherapies and targeted therapies continually emerging. This has also driven ongoing innovation in the concepts and approaches for treating HCC. From July 6th to 8th, 2023, the 13th Asia-Pacific Primary Liver Cancer Experts Conference (APPLE 2023) was held in Seoul, South Korea. During the conference, one of the founders of APPLE, Dr. Masatoshi Kudo from Kindai University in Japan, shared the latest research developments in systemic treatment for intermediate HCC and its potential applications. Hepatology Digest had the privilege of conducting an in-depth interview with Dr. Kudo at the APPLE conference. Here, we present the contents of that interview for our readers. 

Liver cancer has become the 6th most common and the 3rd leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. For liver cancer patients, surgery is the preferred method to completely eliminate tumors and achieve long-term survival. However, the majority of liver cancer patients still face late diagnoses and low survival rates. In recent years, the systemic treatment of liver cancer has progressed rapidly, with new immunotherapies and targeted drugs emerging, promoting continuous innovation in liver cancer treatment concepts and schemes. From July 6-8, 2023, the 13th Asia-Pacific Primary Liver Cancer Expert Meeting (APPLE 2023) was grandly held in Seoul, South Korea. At the conference, Dr. Hanchong Toh from the National Cancer Centre Singapore shared the latest developments in immune adjuvant therapy for liver cancer.

Liver cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in China. In recent years, the application of targeted and immunotherapies has improved the survival of liver cancer patients. However, due to the high molecular heterogeneity of liver cancer, there is still a lack of biological markers for predicting clinical efficacy, and there is a significant difference in treatment responses among liver cancer patients. From July 6th to 8th, 2023, the 13th Asia-Pacific Primary Liver Cancer Experts Conference (APPLE 2023) was grandly held in Seoul, South Korea. At the conference, Dr. Irene Oi-Lin Ng from the University of Hong Kong, China, shared recent advancements in the study of liver cancer's molecular heterogeneity and its biological markers, offering new insights into the development of novel clinical treatment strategies and precise drug efficacy predictions for personalized precision diagnosis and treatment. Hepatology Digest had an in-depth interview with Dr. Ng at the APPLE conference.

Early-stage liver cancer can be cured with radical surgery. However, tumor recurrence remains the primary challenge affecting patients' long-term survival. Currently, the five-year recurrence rate for early-stage liver cancer post-surgery is about 60%. Addressing this challenge and improving long-term survival for these patients is a pressing clinical issue. From July 6th to 8th, 2023, the 13th Asia-Pacific Primary Liver Cancer Expert Meeting (APPLE 2023) was held grandly in Seoul, South Korea. A special session on "Unmet Clinical Needs and Research Directions" was set up, inviting several internationally renowned liver cancer scholars for an in-depth discussion. During this, Dr. Linda Wong from the University of Hawaii shared her insights on the promising vision of adjuvant therapies, such as systemic therapy and TACE, for the cure of early-stage liver cancer.