Dr. Brar on the Need to Identify Biomarkers in HCC

Gagandeep Brar, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Division of Hematologic and Medical Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, discusses the need to identify biomarkers in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Currently, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is the only biomarker in HCC, Brar says.

FGFR and MET appeared to be promising biomarkers, but were later found to be ineffective, explains Brar.

As such, significant research is needed to develop biomarker-driven clinical trials, Brar adds.

Historically, when sorafenib (Nexavar) was the only available therapy for patients with HCC, biomarker research was not important because all patients received the same treatment, Brar explains.

As more treatment choices are introduced to the paradigm, developing biomarkers for each systemic therapy will become that much more important, concludes Brar.