ILCA 2023 | VETC Evaluation Predicts Clinical Benefit of Anti-Angiogenic Treatment in Advanced HCC Patients
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly malignant tumor, and one of its main characteristics is its rich vascular supply. Therefore, anti-angiogenic drugs have become one of the most important choices in the systematic treatment of HCC. In recent years, as research on HCC has deepened, researchers have discovered a unique vascular pattern in HCC tissue. Identified through CD34 immunohistochemical staining, this pattern differs from the classical capillary pattern. In this new pattern, blood vessels encapsulate the tumor in clusters and are termed "Vessels Encapsulating Tumor Clusters" (VETC). Increasing research suggests that the presence of VETC is associated with poor prognosis in HCC patients. From September 7-9, 2023, the 17th International Liver Cancer Association (ILCA) Annual Meeting (ILCA 2023) was grandly held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. At this conference, Dr. Camilla De Carlo from the Human Research Hospital IRCCS in Rosano, Italy, presented a study (Abstract No: P-15) that found that pathological tissue section evaluation of VETC could predict the clinical benefit of anti-angiogenic treatment in patients with advanced HCC. This research provides guidance for the systematic treatment of patients with advanced HCC and was honored with the ILCA 2023 Excellent Poster Award.
