Journal of Integrative Oncology

A Hepatocellular (HCC) Aggressiveness Index was recently constructed, consisting of the sum of the scores for the 4 clinical parameters of maximum tumor size, multifocality, presence of portal vein thrombus and blood alphafetoprotein levels. It was observed that there was an association with several liver function tests. We have now formed a Liver Index from the 4 liver parameters with the highest hazard ratios with respect to HCC aggressiveness, namely: blood total bilirubin, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP), albumin and platelet levels (cirrhosis surrogate). We found that the scores for the Liver Index related significantly to survival, but also to the Aggressiveness Index and to its individual HCC components as well as showing significant trends with the components. These results support the hypothesis that liver function is not only an important prognostic factor in HCC patients, but may also be involved in HCC biology and aggressiveness. Blood albumin, GGTP, albumin and platelet levels were used to create a Liver Index that related significantly to parameters of HCC aggressiveness.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), one of the simplest and most potent lysophospholipids exerting many physiological and pathological actions on various cell types, plays also an essential role in tumorigenesis and cancer metastasis. Overexpression of LPA and its receptors is a common phenomenon in metastatic carcinomas that can be used in new diagnostics strategies. Both, in the ovarian and endometrial cancer cells, LPA activates various signal transduction pathways, leading to the increased proliferation and metastatic abilities of the cells. In this review we would like to prove that development of potential treatment strategies by targeting LPA has a great promise in therapeutics.