A pathway towards precision: Setting the agenda for Liver Cancer International

Editorial

The past decades have represented a season of dramatic change in the management of solid tumours. The ‘molecular revolution’ that has pervasively affected modern cancer medicine has once and for all transformed our understanding of cancer progression, leading to a significant broadening of the therapeutic index of novel systemic anticancer treatments on the basis of a rational matching with the patients’ tumour or germline genomic information.

While treatment paradigms have shifted for good across a growing number of malignancies, liver tumours have unevenly benefitted from the advances brought forward by preclinical and translational research.

In an era that has seen the achievement of long-term survivorship in metastatic melanoma, the approval of multiple lines of anti-angiogenics in renal cell carcinoma and the broadening of molecular and chemoimmunotherapy combinations in lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma has, in contrast, faced a period of stagnation in drug development, fuelled by an incomplete understanding of molecular drivers that can be effectively exploited for therapy.

Similarly, the incremental benefit observed from the development of novel therapies in biliary tract cancers has been modest and although adjuvant and second-line therapies in metastatic disease have changed the landscape in routine clinical care, the hope for long-term survival is still far from being achieved in the majority of patients who are diagnosed today.

Evidence from epidemiological studies mounts further pressure by lending us a fairly stern message: primary liver tumours remain a significant healthcare problem going forward, highlighting the need to concentrate efforts on this highly lethal subset of oncological diagnoses, for which limited therapeutic options currently exist.

In addition to the burden of primary tumours, the liver is a privileged site of secondary spread across a wide array of malignancies. As well as posing peculiar therapeutic challenges, metastatic spread to the liver confers, in the context of progressive malignancy, a significant degree of morbidity, ultimately leading to organ failure and death.

Liver cancer international (LCI) is not simply the testimony of a challenging pathway towards precision medicine, but also reflects the multidisciplinary approach integral to promote significant advancements in our current understanding of the pathophysiology and treatment of liver malignancies. Building on the cross-disciplinary expertise of an experienced Editorial Board, LCI cultivates the ambition to establish itself as a leading forum for the presentation of high-quality evidence surrounding the mechanisms of pathogenesis and progression of liver tumours, as well as progress in diagnostic and therapeutic options.

in taking advantage of a fully open access platform and an efficient peer review process, LCI aims to be a global voice in the field of hepatic oncology, facilitating rapid and wide-reaching dissemination of primary research findings and state of the art reviews.

In a phase characterized by intense efforts in clinical research and a rapidly evolving therapeutic landscape, LCI intends to provide ample room for the dissemination of translational research in liver tumours. By maintaining the issue of patient benefit at the top of the editorial agenda, LCI will give highest priority to the publication of studies that have the potential to instigate transformative changes in clinical care.

As a multi-disciplinary editorial team, we take the direction of LCI with great pleasure, enthusiasm and pride, aiming to serve and represent the entire community of those involved in the research and care of liver tumours. Close to our hearts is the ambition to help constructing the collective knowledge necessary to further advance and strengthen the field of hepato-oncology.

None to disclose.