
Predictors of Sorafenib Response in HCC
Hepatocellular CarcinomaEvaluating the nutrition status of patients with advanced HCC who received sorafenib. Using the pretreatment nutrition status and quality of life as predictors to sorafenib response

Dissection of the Molecular and Immunological Interaction in Patients With HCC of Viral and Non-viral...
Hepatocellular CarcinomaThis project will clarify the potential interaction between HBV infection and steatosis, and their impact on genetic alterations and tumor immune microenvironment.

CHronic Hepatopathies Associated With ALcohol Consumption aNd metAbolic Syndrome
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver DiseaseNon-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis4 moreThe aim is to determine the metabolic factors, host immune factors, and medical imaging data associated with the development of HepatoCellular Carcinoma (HCC) in patients with alcohol-related liver disease or dysmetabolic steatosis/Non-Alcoholic SteatoHepatitis. The investigators will include patients with and without cirrhosis in order to identify early molecular mechanisms involved in the development of HCC especially in non-cirrhotic patients.

SIR-Spheres Study to Calculate the Radiation-Absorbed Dose of 99mTc-MAA
CarcinomaCarcinoma2 moreThe goal of this interventional clinical trial is to evaluate the dose of radiation of Technetium-99m macroaggregated-albumin (99mTc-MAA) after an intra-arterial injection to the whole body and non-liver critical organs in patients who are undergoing evaluation for SIR-Spheres treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Simo Decoction and Gum Chewing for Bowel Activity
Hepatocellular CarcinomaAbdominal surgery, including hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is inevitably followed by an episode of gastrointestinal hypomotility. A delayed return of gastrointestinal function, defined as postoperative ileus (POI), has a great impact on patient comfort, morbidity and recovery. POI often results in a prolonged hospital stay and contributes significantly to healthcare costs. Some prospective studies have revealed that gum chewing can improve the return of gastrointestinal function after colorectum surgery, gynaecology and obstetrics, and urinary system surgery. Moreover, some retrospective studies also revealed that simo decoction may improve the return of gastrointestinal function after hepatic resection of HCC. Therefore, the present study compared the effect of gum chewing and simo decoction after hepatic resection of HCC on POI, surgical complications, and length of hospital stay.

Electronic Monitoring Device of Patient-Reported Outcomes and Function in Improving Patient-Centered...
Stage I Adult Liver CancerStage I Colorectal Cancer29 moreThis pilot clinical trial studies an electronic monitoring device of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and function in improving patient-centered care in patients with gastrointestinal cancer undergoing surgery. Electronic monitoring is a technology-based way of asking patients about the quality of life, symptoms, and activity using online surveys and an activity tracking watch may make it easier for patients to tell their doctors and nurses about any issues before and after surgery. Electronic systems of assessing PROs may increase the depth and accuracy of available clinical data, save administrative time, prompt early intervention that improves the patient experience, foster patient-provider communication, improve patient safety, and enhance the consistency of data collection across multiple sites.

An Exploratory, Open Label, Multi-Center, Non-Randomized Study of [F-18]VM4-037
Lung CancerSquamous Cell Carcinoma3 morePhase: Exploratory Study Objectives: To collect drug bio-distribution data, begin collection of baseline and tumor/background imaging data, acquire experience to improve study design and the conduct of future studies Design: Exploratory, open label, nonrandomized, multi-center study Duration: Three visits - one screening, one imaging, and one follow-up visit at 24 hours post-dose Procedures: Informed consent, collection of demographic information and medical history, physical examinations, vital signs, 12-lead ECGs, routine blood tests to assess major organ functions, complete blood counts and clinical chemistries for safety, blood sample for CA-IX assay, pre-dose and post-dose blood samples for metabolite analysis, dosing with [F-18]VM4-037, PET imaging scan, dosimetry estimation (normals), urine collections (normals), tumor immunohistochemistry with CA-IX biomarker, follow up to imaging to collect adverse events Subjects: Approximately sixteen (16) adult subjects including four (4) healthy volunteers and twelve (12) cancer subjects who have confirmed or highly suspected diagnosis of head & neck, lung, large solitary hepatic and renal cell cancer, as defined by protocol criteria

PET Scan as a Screening Tool for Liver Transplant in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)...
Hepatocellular CarcinomaThis study aims at testing the utility of PET Scan as a screening tool for liver transplantation in patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Patients being worked up for liver transplant for hepatocellular carcinoma will undergo a PET Scan and will be followed until 2 years after transplantation. At that time survival data will be analysed according to PET Scan results to determine if it can be used to predict outcome.

Combination of Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization (TACE) and Sorafenib for Patients With Unresectable...
CarcinomaHepatocellularMost HCC patients are diagnosed at advanced stages in Korea, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization is considered a key modality for palliative treatment in these HCC patients. TACE is currently one of the mainstays of palliative treatments worldwide for patients with inoperable HCC and it has shown survival benefits in patients with unresectable HCC. TACE consists primarily of directly targeted chemotherapy and embolization of arteries feeding the tumors, inevitably resulting in a hypoxic insult to HCC and surrounding liver tissues. Ischemic injury after TACE has been found to induce the upregulation of circulating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is essential for tumor growth, invasion and metastasis in patients with HCC. Recent studies have shown a significant correlation between pre-TACE level of circulating VEGF or VEGF upregulation after TACE and HCC characteristics, including tumor size, vascular invasion, and metastasis. TACE consists primarily of directly targeted chemotherapy and embolization of arteries feeding the tumors, inevitably resulting in a hypoxic insult to HCC and surrounding liver tissues. Central tumor hypoxia was found to upregulate proangiogenic growth factors, which are potent mediators of tumor angiogenesis. Therefore, expression of circulating or tissue VEGF was enhanced after TACE in patients or animals with HCC, and there could be some probability of adverse effects of TACE in HCC patients. In addition, the investigators demonstrated that a transient increment of serum VEGF level after TACE was significantly correlated with poor outcomes of tumor progression, especially outcomes relevant to distant metastasis. Therefore, these findings suggest a rationale for applying adjuvant therapy with anti-angiogenesis agent additional treatment of anti-angiogenesis after TACE or during TACE in a selected group of patients HCC. The aim of this study is to evaluate efficacy and safety of sorafenib 400 mg bid with TACE in patients with unresectable and/or inoperable HCC.

Influence of Probiotics Administration Before Liver Resection in Liver Disease
Liver FibrosisLiver Cirrhosis2 moreSurgical resection is one of the curative treatment modalities for HCC. Limits are postoperative septic and liver functional complications related to an increase in bacterial translocation and systemic endotoxemia. Bacterial translocation is a passage of bacteria and bacterial degradation products from the intestine to the portal circulation. The endotoxemia secondary to bacterial translocation, stimulates endothelial production of nitric oxide (NO). NO is also a potent inducer of membrane instability, responsible for an increase in the permeability of the vascular endothelium and intestinal mucosa, possibly contributing to a worsening of bacterial translocation. Probiotics are live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts, provide a health benefit on the host ((Health and Nutritional Properties of Probiotics in Food Including Powder Milk with Live Lactic Acid Bacteria - Cordoba Argentina October 2001). Data from experimental and clinical literature show a significant effect of probiotics on the improvement of liver function and a decrease in infectious complications in patients with chronic liver disease. The proposed study would evaluate the effect preventive and therapeutic in a population of surgical patients, in whom the intestinal portal and hepatic inflammation promotes postoperative complications.