Fight against primary liver cancer of metabolic origin: the precious support of the Constance and Andrei Rhoe Foundation

Primary liver cancer is the 6th most common cancer in terms of incidence and the 4th most common in terms of mortality worldwide.

The Constance and Andrei Rhoe Foundation has chosen to support the actions of the IHU ICAN, whose vocation is to fight against cardiometabolic diseases. This sponsorship will support research on the metabolic causes of liver cancer, and the training of young Romanian researchers and doctors in this field.

Learn about the study that will support this valuable donation to better understand the progression of NASH to primary liver cancer.

The commitment of the Constance and Andrei Rhoe Foundation

Sponsored by the Fondation de France, the Constance and Andrei Rhoe Foundation aims to support medical research projects in biology and biochemistry, in favour of the the fight against cancer, as well as projects in education, music, democracy and civic awareness.

Their founders have chosen to support the IHU ICAN through an annual grant over a period of 3 years. This will enable a Romanian doctoral student to carry out research on primary liver cancer as part of a multicenter study coordinated by Prof. Vlad Ratziu at the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital.

Main goals are:

  • Identification of risk factorsfor primary liver cancer related to the metabolic syndrome,
  • Estimating the prevalence of metabolic liver cancer in the French population,
  • Estimation of temporal trends (incidence) of this condition over the past 10 years.

What you need to know about primary liver cancer

Primary liver cancer, also known as hepatocellular carcinoma, is one of the few cancers that is increasing. It occurs mainly in people who already have liver disease.

  • 6th most common cancer in terms of incidence,
  • 4th most frequent in terms of mortality in the world,
  • An incidence that is increasing by 9% each year in the USA.

Hepatic consequence of the metabolic syndrome, metabolic steatosis has become the 1st cause of chronic liver disease, affecting 25-30% of the general adult population in its most frequent and least severe form. A progressive form of steatosis, metabolic steatohepatitiscan lead to hepatic fibrogenesis, resulting in liver cirrhosis.

This explains why the incidence of primary metabolic liver cancer has become the fastest growing indication for liver transplantation.

Unfortunately, primary liver cancers occurring in subjects with metabolic steatohepatitis are often detected at a later and therefore more advanced stage, which limits the possibilities of curative therapies.

It is therefore important today to better understand, identify and stratify :

  • Mechanisms of carcinogenesis associated with the metabolic syndrome,
  • The role of metabolic and inflammatory factors in the pathogenesis of primary liver cancer,
  • Carcinological risk in subjects with metabolic syndrome,
  • The circumstances of occurrence of primary liver cancer in a non-cirrhotic liver,

This is the objective of our study which will be conducted over a period of 3 years in 300 patients with primary metabolic liver cancer, using a multicenter cohort with a biobank.

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The entire IHU ICAN team warmly thanks the Constance Foundation and Andrei Rhoe for their trust!

Your donations are essential to help the IHU ICAN fighting against cardiometabolic diseases.