Dr. Yarchoan on Unique Characteristics of Fibrolamellar Carcinoma

Mark Yarchoan, MD, assistant professor of oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine, discusses unique characteristics of fibrolamellar carcinoma (FC).

FC is a distinct type of liver cancer, Yarchoan says. Unlike hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which typically occurs in older patients who have underlying liver disease like cirrhosis, FC tends to occur in younger patients without underlying liver disease.

Additionally, the disease is characterized by the presence of DNAJB1-PRKACA oncogenic fusions or rearrangements, which are unique driver abnormalities for cancer growth, Yarchoan says. As such, FC is epidemiological and genetically distinct from HCC, Yarchoan concludes.