Liver cancer survival rate: Cancer Council Vic funds origin cell research as deaths rise

Groundbreaking, world-first research to identify a mystery cell for the most common liver cancer is underway as mortality rates skyrocket.

A world-first Melbourne project is on the hunt for liver cancer’s mystery “cell of origin”, as new data reveals the disease’s mortality rate has skyrocketed.

Victorian Cancer Registry statistics show the liver cancer mortality rate rose by more than 190 per cent in the past four decades.

It has one of the state’s most rapidly growing rates, with deaths increasing by 4.9 per cent alone last year when 450 people died – up from 429 in 2021.

Cancer Council Victoria will today announce funding for “groundbreaking” research to identify the cell of origin for types of the most common liver cancer.

WEHI researcher Dr Philip Arandjelovic said the cell or cells from which a tumour begins to grow have already been discovered for several types of cancer – including breast – and can play a crucial role in identifying successful treatments.

But the origin of different types of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) – which is responsible for 90 per cent of liver cancers – has yet to be discovered.

Dr Arandjelovic said they suspect the rise in deaths – consistent with national and international rates – is linked to rising obesity and metabolic syndrome – a cluster of conditions such as high blood pressure and blood sugar that can increase the risk of liver scarring – levels.

“The screening techniques aren’t very good, often you get quite late presentations,” he said.

“At that stage it’s quite difficult to treat unless you qualify for surgery or a liver transplant, which not everyone does.”

He hoped his research could change this, and said that in other cancers knowing the cell of origin means “you can work your way back” to find treatments.

“This is the kind of tumour they have, it most likely arose from this type of cell, which means that it will probably be sensitive to this kind of treatment,” he said.

“What we really don’t have is that kind of similar strategy for liver cancer.”

He said they will mutate different liver cells to test which ones “grow” into a tumour in mouse models.

“Once you get a clearer picture of how it’s starting and how it’s progressing and getting worse, then hopefully down the road we can start to tailor medications and treatments to that information,” he said.

“This knowledge could transform how liver cancer is treated and could pave the way for new personalised medicines.”

The project is one of four new postdoctoral research fellowships from Cancer Council Victoria, with studies into head and neck cancer, mesothelioma and CAR T cell therapy sharing in the $1.8m in funds.

Cancer Council Victoria chief executive Todd Harper said more common cancers’ survival rates had increased by 30 per cent in the past three decades thanks to cancer research.

“We hope these budding researchers, now funded thanks to the generosity of Victorians, will play pivotal roles in the next groundbreaking cancer breakthrough,” he said.

“In 2022 Cancer Council Victoria spent over $30m in cancer research.”

Originally published as Liver cancer survival rate: Cancer Council Vic funds origin cell research as deaths rise