Congenital Porto-Systemic Shunts and the Development of Liver Tumours
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Congenital porto-systemic shunts and the development of liver tumours: Characterisation of the genetic and histopathologic background
IRAS ID
210847
Contact name
Mark Davenport
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
The development of tumours within livers with congenital porto-systemic shunts has been described and several distinct types have been recognisedwhich range from benign growths of liver tissues to malignant cancers. The factors governing initiation and progression of individual tumours (for example, to become cancerous) is not known. However, the fundamental pathological change in such livers is that blood from the bowels is not draining as per normal into the liver and for this reason there is proporionally more blood flowing from arteries rather than the portal venous system (from bowels).
The King’s College Hospital single centre experience has cared for approximately 40 patients from 2000 onwards with Congenital Portosystemic Shunts which is nearly twice as large as any published experience globally. When it was clinically indicated tissue samples were retrieved for these patients. We will retrospectively review the histology of these samples in order to try to identify factors or patters which are useful to predict which tumours will progress to become cancers. Furthermore we will investigate for any genetic alterations from a panel of genes both in tumour tissue and in native liver tissue, again to try to more acurately identify what the risk factors are for the development of cancer in the livers of these patients. These findings may be able to give some insight into the development of liver cancers even beyond our patients population.
We aim to devise guidance for any future clinicians manging these patients to ensure they have the best possible outcomes.
REC name
East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/EM/0342
Date of REC Opinion
1 Sep 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion