Molinette Hospital study advances liver cancer treatment precision

Severe liver diseases, including decompensated cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and acute liver failure, represent a significant global health challenge. These conditions, often caused by chronic viral infections, alcohol abuse, or metabolic syndrome, can lead to life-threatening complications such as portal hypertension, esophageal varices, and hepatic encephalopathy.

In clinical research conducted at the Molinette Hospital in Turin, a study published in ‘La radiologia medica’ has demonstrated that personalized therapies can improve survival rates for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The research analyzed 82 patients undergoing SIRT (radioembolization with yttrium-90 microspheres). The study found that the ALBI score, an indicator of liver function based on albumin and bilirubin, is a superior predictor of overall survival compared to traditional classification systems.

Furthermore, tailored dose planning performed alongside health physicists allows for high doses to be delivered to tumors while sparing healthy tissue. Ongoing research at the Città della Salute e della Scienza is now utilizing radiomics and artificial intelligence to transform radiological images into numerical data, aiming to predict treatment efficacy before therapy begins.