A groundbreaking treatment, claimed to be the first of its kind in the world, has been developed by a team of researchers at the University of Hong Kong, demonstrating the ability to extend the life of a late-stage liver cancer patient. The innovative treatment, hailed as a “miracle,” combines stereotactic body radiation therapy, a targeted tumor treatment, with immunotherapy to reduce the tumor to a state suitable for transplantation.
The researchers, led by Professor Albert Chan Chi-yan at the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, successfully applied the treatment to a 65-year-old patient named Wong Lok-wing, who was diagnosed with stage-four liver cancer and given approximately six months to live in November of the previous year. The tumor, measuring 18.2 centimeters in diameter, had spread to Wong’s main portal vein, a critical blood vessel connected to the liver.
The “reduce and remove” treatment developed by the research team successfully shrank the tumor, paving the way for a transplant. In August of the following year, during a 12-hour operation, Wong received a portion of his son’s liver. Since then, Wong has remained cancer-free, marking a remarkable turnaround.
Professor Albert Chan Chi-yan expressed optimism about the future of the treatment, emphasizing ongoing efforts to enhance its efficacy. The team is exploring additional immunotherapy approaches with the goal of increasing the patient response rate from the current 50-60% to 80%.
Liver cancer is often associated with conditions such as cirrhosis, where the liver is scarred or damaged. Excessive alcohol consumption and long-term hepatitis B or C infections are common causes of liver damage leading to cancer. The development of this pioneering treatment offers hope and new possibilities for the treatment of liver cancer, particularly in late-stage cases where effective solutions were previously limited.
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