Genome Wide Association Studies in Fibrolamellar Carcinoma

Purpose

Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLC) is a rare liver cancer that occurs primarily in adolescents and young adults. Unlike the more common liver cancer hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) the fibrolamellar variant appears in otherwise healthy livers. Surgery when applicable provides patients with the only chance for long-term cure; chemotherapy and radiation are currently only supportive treatment options. Our lab had earlier shown that the disease is caused due to a deletion and subsequent specific gene fusion in the DNA found only in the tumor cells. Despite increasing knowledge about the disease it is not known if there are variations in patients' genomes that are associated with how the tumor behaves in the individual patient (e.g. is it highly metastatic or not) and its response to therapeutics. It is also unknown if there are variants in the DNA that are associated with susceptibility to acquiring the mutation in the liver cells and therefore the disease. With this protocol we propose to study the DNA of FLC patients coming from their body's cells without the disease as well as the DNA of healthy people. This could potentially lead to the discovery of DNA that is associated with variations disease progression or sensitivity to different therapeutics as well as variantions that are associated with acquiring the disease.

Condition

  • Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLC)

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Between 3 and 100
Eligible Genders
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Study Design

Phase
Study Type
Observational

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
Rockefeller University

Study Contact

Recruitment Office
8007822737
rucares@rockefeller.edu