Research into liver cancer

Researchers around the world are looking at better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat primary liver cancer.

Go to Cancer Research UK’s clinical trials database if you are looking for a trial for liver cancer in the UK. You need to talk to your specialist if there are any trials that you think you might be able to take part in.

When in the trials database, click on ‘recruiting’, ‘closed’ and ‘results’ in the trial status tab to see all the trials.

Research and clinical trials

All cancer treatments must be fully researched before they can be used for everyone. This is so we can be sure that:

• they work

• they work better than the treatments already available

• they are safe

To make sure the research is accurate, each trial has certain entry conditions for who can take part. These are different for each trial.

Hospitals do not take part in every clinical trial. Some trials are only done in a small number of hospitals, or in one area of the country. You may need to travel quite far if you take part in these trials. 

Some of the research on this page has now stopped asking people to take part. But it takes time before the results are available. This is because the research teams follow the people taking part for a period of time to collect and analyse the information.

We have included information about these to give examples of the types of research being carried out.

Research into the diagnosis of liver cancer

Liver cancer is often diagnosed at a late stage . This can make it harder to treat. Doctors are looking at ways to diagnose liver cancer at an earlier stage. 

A group of researchers have set up the deLIVER programme. This is a group of studies that are looking at ways to find liver cancer earlier. Their studies are for people with liver cancer or an increased risk of liver cancer and include:

• using blood and urine samples to predict who has the highest risk of liver cancer
• finding new liver cancer biomarkers   
• using different types of scans to detect liver cancer earlier
• finding changes to immune cells in the liver

Other research includes looking at very early symptoms of cancer. Researchers are trying to find out if they can diagnose liver cancer with a simple test that people are willing to do. This includes looking at the substances people breathe out to develop a breath test.

Research into treatments for liver cancer

Researchers want to:

• improve the current treatments we have
• develop new treatments

Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy uses high energy waves similar to x-rays to kill cancer cells. There are different types of radiotherapy used for liver cancer:

• stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) is a type of external radiotherapy   
• selective internal radiotherapy (SIRT) is a type of internal radiotherapy  

Researchers are looking at using different types of scan before, during and after radiotherapy treatment. This may help to:

• see how well the treatment is working
• reduce the risk of side effects

Targeted and immunotherapy cancer drugs

Targeted cancer drugs work by targeting those differences that help a cancer cell to grow and survive. Some seek out and destroy cancer cells. Others help the body's immune system to attack the cancer. So some of these drugs are also called immunotherapies.

There are different types of targeted cancer drugs and immunotherapies. For liver cancer, researchers are looking at these treatments for cancer that has spread. Or before surgery.

Drugs doctors are looking at for liver cancer include:

•    AZD5069
•    durvalumab
•    pembrolizumab
•    lenvatinib
•    sorafenib

Cancer vaccines

Cancer vaccines are a type of immunotherapy. They help the immune system to recognise and attack cancer cells. One type of vaccine is made from dendritic cells . Doctors are looking at this type of vaccine for liver cancer. They think it might be helpful to have it with chemotherapy and chemo embolisation .

Combining cancer treatments

Targeted and immunotherapy drugs are usually given on their own for advanced cancer. Researchers are trying to find out if they work better when they are combined with other treatments. Trials are looking at giving these drugs:

• before surgery
• after surgery
• with heat treatment (thermal ablation)
• with radiotherapy
• with chemoembolisation (TACE)