Opening of liver cancer center benefits patients, brings many hope

By Hemesh Patel
Daily Bruin Reporter

Liver cancer affects more than a million people a year, and the
new Dumont-UCLA Liver Cancer Center, which opened last month, hopes
to lower the number of deaths caused by the disease.

The center allows for new research and treatment to take place,
and as a result some patients have managed to escape this
cancer’s wrath.

“I was diagnosed with liver cancer in March, and my tumor
was removed after eight days,” said David McCullough, a
visual effects producer from Woodland Hills, who was treated at
UCLA. “At the moment I am cancer free, and I feel no
discomfort.”

McCullough said he is looking forward to visit the center for a
checkup.

Earlier this year, he was told by his routine physician that
there were two surgeons who were not willing to operate on the
liver because they believed the cancer had spread too far.

But one doctor, director of the UCLA liver transplant program
Dr. Ronald Busuttil, successfully operated on McCullough eight days
after his diagnosis.

Despite McCullough’s success story, some physicians say
that very little is known about the cancer and one of the goals of
the center is to improve the current understanding of the disease
through clinical research.

“There really is no headway in terms of treating the
cancer,” said Rafael Amado, assistant professor in the
hematology and oncology department. “Treatment is
unsatisfactory and the problem is only going to get
worse.”

Amado said liver cancer, probably the most common cancer in
world, is an incredible health care issue.

He said in developing areas, such as China and Southeast Asia,
Hepatitis B is more likely the cause for the disease. As a result,
the high incidence of the cancer in Asian Americans continues to
grow because they are carriers.

But in more developed areas such as Europe and the United
States, Hepatitis C develops into cancer, he said.

Patients are commonly infected with Hepatitis C during blood
transfusions, Amado said.

Officials say providing treatment will occur more frequently now
that the university houses a center specializing in liver
cancer.

“There’s a desperate need for a liver cancer center
because it is the number one cancer in the world,” Busuttil
said in a statement.

“We’ll be one of the few centers around the world
solely committed to liver cancer and we’ll be using a
multidisciplinary treatment approach and cutting-edge clinical
trials to get a hold on this deadly killer,” he
continued.

One of the obstacles the center will tackle is finding an animal
model that will adequately mimic the course of the disease in
humans.

Amado said mice will most likely be infected with tumors that
the center is collecting from humans.

Patients like McCullough are optimistic about the new advances
the center may bring forward in the future.

“I think the facilities at the new liver center will not
only spark an awareness but it will also heal and treat
cancer,” McCullough said. “I would expect there to be a
lot more successes than failures.”

Officials said the center’s opening was timely because of
the number of liver cancer patients coming to the university has
been increasing.

“UCLA conducts 300 liver transplants a year and we have
about five new patients a year,” Amado said. “The
opening of the program really boosted our referable
base.”