According to the journal Liver Cancer, which specializes in oncology research, scientists at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the United States conducted a study analyzing data from more than 4,300 liver cancer patients. The results showed that patients with advanced liver cancer can live significantly longer if they undergo a liver transplant or surgical tumor removal after receiving immunotherapy.
The study explained that immunotherapy can shrink tumors, but it does not cure the disease completely. However, if this shrinkage makes liver transplantation or tumor resection possible, the overall risk of death decreases by 85% compared to patients receiving immunotherapy alone.
The researchers noted that despite the effectiveness of these procedures, only about 3% of patients receiving immunotherapy are referred for surgery later, often at major academic centers.
The study's author, Dr. Jiu Dong Yang, said:"Not undergoing liver transplants or surgery in advanced cases is a missed opportunity for a complete cure, as many patients do not die from the tumor itself, but from associated liver diseases that can be treated through liver transplantation."