Gastrointestinal Cancer | Specialty

The OncLive Gastrointestinal Cancer condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and expert insights on various types of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma, gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, esophageal cancer, and more. This page features news articles, interviews in written and video format, and podcasts that focus on unmet needs, treatment advances, and ongoing research in GI cancers.

Dr. Alan P. Venook on Determining Frontline Treatment for mCRC

November 16th 2016

Alan P. Venook, MD, The Madden Family Distinguished Professor of Medical Oncology and Translational Research at the University of California, San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses factors in determining first-line treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

Multidisciplinary Care Associated With Improved OS for HCC Patients

November 15th 2016

Multidisciplinary tumor boards led to higher utilization of guideline-recommended curative therapies, which was associated with improved overall survival for patients with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma.

Dr. Montano-Loza on Link Between HCC Risk and High Visceral Adipose Tissue

November 15th 2016

Aldo J. Montano-Loza, MD, MSc, PhD, associate professor of medicine, program director of hepatology, gastroenterology rotation supervisor, University of Alberta, discusses the link between high visceral adipose tissue and hepatocellular carcinoma risk in patients with cirrhosis.

DAAs Not Associated With Increased HCC Risk in HCV Patients

November 15th 2016

Treatment with direct-acting antiviral therapy did not increase the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

Researchers Validate Novel Prediction Index for HCC After Liver Transplant

November 15th 2016

A new system for gauging the probability for hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence following liver transplant surgery has proved successful.

Dr. Naveed Zafar Janjua on Impact of Hepatitis C Treatment Timing on HCC Risk

November 15th 2016

Naveed Zafar Janjua, MBBS, MSc, DrPH, senior scientist, clinical prevention services, BC Centre for Disease Control and clinical associate professor, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, discusses the findings from the British Columbia hepatitis testers cohort, which looked at the impact of hepatitis infection on long term risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Regorafenib Renews Hope in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

November 14th 2016

There has been renewed optimism in hepatocellular carcinoma with regorafenib, a novel second-line agent that is currently being considered for approval by the FDA.

Preclinical Studies Help to Illuminate Immunotherapy's Role in HCC

November 14th 2016

Following on their impressive success in the treatment of several other tumor types, immune-based therapies are being studied in clinical trials for hepatocellular carcinoma and are showing promising signals of efficacy.

Percutaneous and Laparoscopic RFA Outcomes Similar for HCC

November 14th 2016

Similar recurrence-free survival was demonstrated with radiofrequency ablation using percutaneous and laparoscopic methods for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who were eligible for ablation.

Dr. Tim F. Greten on Immunotherapy in HCC

November 14th 2016

Tim F. Greten, MD, senior investigator thoracic and gastrointestinal oncology branch, head, gastrointestinal malignancy section, National Cancer Institute (NCI), discusses the potential for immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Dr. Hashem El-Serag on the Relationship Between NASH and HCC

November 13th 2016

Hashem El-Serag, MD, MPH, medicine-gastroenterology, Baylor College of Medicine, discusses the relationship between nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Biomarkers Define Future Age of Immunotherapy in Cancer

November 13th 2016

The use of immunotherapy as a treatment for cancer is progressively increasing with a flood of recent approvals for immune checkpoint inhibitors directed against CTLA-4 and PD-1.

Lack of Screening, Surveillance Leads to Rising HCC Rates in Hepatitis B Patients

November 13th 2016

Hepatocellular carcinoma‎ incidence continues to rise among patients with hepatitis B despite improvements in antiviral therapies, stressing the importance of screening and surveillance in this population.

Dr. George N. Ioannou on the Efficacy of Antiviral Agents for Hepatitis C in HCC Patients

November 13th 2016

George N. Ioannou, MD, associate professor, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, University of Washington School of Medicine, discusses a study evaluating the effectiveness of direct antiviral agents for hepatitis C virus patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

ERK Inhibition May Explain Regorafenib Success in Sorafenib-Resistant HCC

November 13th 2016

Efforts are under way to further evaluate the effects of regorafenib on sorafenib-resistant HCC cells, including the role of suppressing the ERK signaling pathway.

Dr. Gonzalez on Cost-Benefit of Treating Hepatitis C in HCC Patients Before Transplant

November 13th 2016

Stevan A. Gonzalez, MD MS, clinical assistant professor, department of internal medicine, Texas A&M College of Medicine, medical director of liver transplantation, Simmons Transplant Institute, Baylor All Saints Medical Center, discusses a cost effectiveness analysis of treating hepatitis C patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) before or after a liver transplant.

Nivolumab Improves OS in Phase III Gastric Cancer Study

November 11th 2016

Treatment with nivolumab significantly extended overall survival compared with placebo for patients with unresectable, advanced, or recurrent gastric cancer who were refractory or intolerant to standard therapy.

Dr. Venook on Distinguishing Molecular Features in CRC

November 10th 2016

Alan P. Venook, MD, The Madden Family Distinguished Professor of Medical Oncology and Translational Research at the University of California, San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses evolving treatment strategies for patients with colorectal cancer, with regards to molecular features such as sidedness.

FDA Approval Sought for Regorafenib in Advanced Liver Cancer

November 7th 2016

A supplemental new drug application has been submitted to the FDA for the use of regorafenib (Stivarga) as a second-line treatment for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Dr. Mikhail Fedyanin on Mutation Discordance and Liquid Biopsy in CRC

November 5th 2016

Mikhail Fedyanin, MD, PhD, Russian Academy of Medical Science, discusses mutation discordance in the primary tumor and metastases in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), as well as the benefits of liquid biopsy.