This study looked for associations between demographic, clinical factors and overall survival using data from the Fibrolamellar Registry.
Several key findings emerged:
- Overall disease survival: Based on data in the registry as of April 2021, the median survival was 8.2 years, and the 5‐year survival rate for the disease was 62.2%.
- Gender influence on survival: Female patients with FLC exhibited a survival advantage over males, even after adjusting for other factors.
- Tumor size not significantly linked to survival: Surprisingly, the study found no significant association between the size of the primary tumor and survival. Patients with tumors larger or smaller than 10 cm had similar survival rates. This suggests that tumor size may not be a reliable predictor of FLC prognosis.
- Metastases and multiple tumors as prognostic factors: Patients with metastases or multiple tumors in the liver had a worse prognosis.
- Age at diagnosis: The study did not find a significant association between the age at diagnosis and survival.
- Impact of treatment: All systemic treatment options, when compared to surgery alone, were found to be associated with poorer prognosis. This could be due to patients with lower-stage disease opting for surgery alone, indicating the importance of surgical removal of all disease-related tissue.
In conclusion, while this study provides insights into factors associated with survival in FLC patients, further research is needed to better understand this rare cancer.
The full text of the publication can be accessed here.
Note: This study is an example of the valuable research that can be conducted using patient-supplied data. Thank you to all the patients who participate in the Fibrolamellar Registry!