Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40500706›Full record

Observational studyBMC cancer2025

The bile duct and liver cancer: ON-treatment surveillance of tumor evolution and response to systemic treatment (BILLIONSTARS) study.

Philip Falk, Sofie Olsson Hau, Hedda Jacobsen, Jakob Eberhard, Caroline Williamsson, Karin Jirström

Registry-linked trialAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMC cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06877637 (BILe Duct and LIver Cancer), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06877637 recruitingnot on this map

BILe Duct and LIver Cancer: ON-treatment Surveillance of Tumor Evolution And Response to Systemic Treatment

Typeobservational_patient_registrySponsorRegion SkaneRan2025 to 2029Enrolled150ConditionsHepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), Cholangiocarcinoma
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Philip FalkDivision of Oncology and Therapeutic Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, SE-221 85, Sweden. philip.falk@med.lu.se.
Sofie Olsson HauDivision of Oncology and Therapeutic Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, SE-221 85, Sweden.
Hedda JacobsenDivision of Oncology and Therapeutic Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, SE-221 85, Sweden.
Jakob EberhardDivision of Oncology and Therapeutic Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, SE-221 85, Sweden.
Caroline WilliamssonDivision of Surgery, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Karin JirströmDivision of Oncology and Therapeutic Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, SE-221 85, Sweden.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMalignancies of the liver and bile ducts are associated with high recurrence rates after surgery and poor prognosis when disseminated. Medical treatment has been improved in recent years, with chemotherapy, targeted therapy and checkpoint inhibitors offering opportunities to influence the course of the diseases. Many patients do not benefit from treatment, however, and predictive and prognostic markers are lacking. The BILe duct and LIver cancer: ON-treatment Surveillance of Tumor evolution And Response to Systemic treatment (BILLIONSTARS) study aims to map how molecular tumor characteristics and pathways of genetic evolution align with treatment response trajectories.

methodsThe BILLIONSTARS study is a prospective, single arm observational study. Patients at Skåne University Hospital in Malmö/Lund and Central Hospital in Kristianstad diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or cholangiocarcinoma (CCC) who are to be recommended locoregional intervention by surgery, ablation, transarterial chemoembolization or selective internal radiation therapy and/or antitumoral medical treatment will be included. Tissue obtained in the clinical setting through surgery or biopsy along with tissue from research autopsies will be evaluated with targeted deep sequencing. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and other relevant biomarkers will be analyzed in blood samples obtained at different timepoints, depending on the type of treatment; before surgery or the start of systemic treatment, prior to each course of systemic treatment, if applicable, and at end of treatment. DISCUSSION: The treatment field for HCC and CCC is evolving, thus improving outcomes for patients in the palliative setting. The efficacy of targeted therapy and checkpoint inhibition is however highly variable, and no predictive biomarkers have yet been established. The clinical course of the diseases is also highly variable and unpredictable. With this study, we hope to gain an increased insight into the various biological characteristics of these tumors, including novel potential treatment targets, as well as their spatial and temporal heterogeneity. By conducting research autopsies with comprehensive post-mortem sampling, we expect to further expand our understanding of the molecular events leading to terminal disease. The ultimate goal is to design better individualized and adaptive treatment strategies, thereby improving the outlook for patients with HCC or CCC.

trial registrationThis study has been registered in clinicaltrials.gov as NCT06877637 Protocol version 1 March 2025.

Indexed as

Bile Duct NeoplasmsCarcinoma, HepatocellularCholangiocarcinomaLiver NeoplasmsBiomarkers, TumorCirculating Tumor DNAHumansProspective StudiesBiomarkers, TumorCirculating Tumor DNACholangiocarcinomaCholangiocellular carcinomaHepatocellular carcinomaTargeted therapyTumor evolutionTumor heterogeneity

Identifiers

PMID40500706
PMCPMC12153108

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.