University of Edinburgh

N/A

DL-2021-049

Liver, pancreas and bile duct (hepatopancreatobiliary) cancers are the third most common cause of death from cancer worldwide. In Scotland, the incidence of liver cancer alone has increased by 274% over the past 20 years, with 578 liver cancer deaths recorded in 2018. The reason for this increase is not clear. Liver, pancreas and bile duct cancers may develop in people who already have risk factors and therefore, we need to know who is most likely to develop these cancers. The purpose of this project is to identify which patient groups benefit from early detection of hepatopancreatobiliary cancers. We will use cutting-edge analytical techniques including machine learning to identify how we can predict and detect cancer far earlier. The analysis will support future projects using DataLoch’s high quality linked datasets aimed at prevention, early detection and treatment of liver, pancreas and bile duct cancers.

Liver and pancreas cancer (including bile duct cancer) is the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide. In Scotland, unlike most other cancers, its incidence is increasing. To simplify the language in this proposal, the use of the term ‘Hepatobiliary Cancer’ refers to cancers of the pancreas, the liver and the bile ducts (entire biliary tree). The only curative treatment is surgery, but this can only be performed in patients with early-stage disease. Most patients with liver and pancreas cancers present to healthcare when the disease it at an advanced stage, where it cannot be cured. For advanced disease, treatment options are limited to chemotherapy or immunotherapy, which may extend life expectancy by a matter of months. The incidence of liver cancer alone in Scotland has increased by 274% between 2001 and 2015. This rise is thought to be driven by a combination of an ageing population and an increase in people with non-alcoholic fatty-liver disease, but it is unclear if this is the case. If we can identify liver cancer in its early stages in those people at risk, we are likely to be able to improve outcomes. Being able to identify those who are at risk of developing liver cancer, understanding whether surveillance and screening programmes improve outcomes and implementing new diagnostic tests or interventions will be key to improving outcomes for these patients.

Public Health Research

01/08/2022

De-Personalised

TRE