Using tumor signals to predict treatment response in liver cancer
Official title: Evaluation of treatment predictors reflecting beta-catenin activation in hepatocellular carcinoma
Funded at Queen's Medical Center · NIH-10899636 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses PET/CT scans and a blood 'liquid biopsy' to find people with hepatocellular (liver) cancer whose tumors are driven by beta‑catenin and may not respond to immunotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Queen's Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Honolulu, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA262460-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-10899636 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma who are being considered for or starting anti‑PD‑1/PD‑L1 immunotherapy are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with early‑stage liver cancer who are not receiving immunotherapy, or patients whose tumors do not show beta‑catenin activation, are unlikely to benefit from these specific tests.
What this research studies
If you join, you will get specialized PET/CT imaging (using tracers like 18F‑fluorocholine) and a blood test that looks for tumor DNA in the bloodstream. The study will look for signs of Wnt/beta‑catenin activation in the tumor by combining the scan and the liquid biopsy results. Participants will be followed while receiving standard anti‑PD‑1/PD‑L1 immunotherapy to see whether these markers predict poor treatment response. The team aims to use these tests to identify patients who are unlikely to benefit from immunotherapy so care can be better personalized.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help avoid ineffective immunotherapy and direct patients toward more promising treatments sooner.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has linked beta‑catenin activation with poor immunotherapy response and small studies suggest PET tracers and cfDNA can detect such tumors, but prospective clinical trial evidence is still limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Queen's Medical Center
Honolulu, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kwee, Sandi Alexander — Queen's Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Kwee, Sandi Alexander
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.