An effective way to extend life with an aggressive type of cancer has been discovered

Patients with advanced liver cancer can live significantly longer if they undergo liver transplantation or tumor removal after a course of immunotherapy. This conclusion was reached by specialists from Cedars-Sinai Cancer after studying data from more than 4,300 people.

As reported by BAKU.WS, the study was published in the journal Liver Cancer.

Immunotherapy can reduce tumor size but does not lead to complete cure. The new results show that if the reduction in tumor size makes liver transplantation or surgical removal possible, the overall risk of death is reduced by 85% compared to those who continue to receive immunotherapy alone.

However, despite such significant benefits, only about 3% of patients after immunotherapy are referred for subsequent surgical interventions - most often in large academic clinics. According to the lead author of the study, Dr. Ju Dong Yang, this is a missed opportunity: many patients die not because of the tumor itself, but due to associated liver diseases that transplantation can eliminate.