An Indian-origin doctor-led team of cancer specialists has developed a new framework for treating liver cancer that brings together recent research and newer treatment options.
The approach, called BEACON-HCC, is aimed at helping doctors make more personalised treatment decisions for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of primary liver cancer.
The framework was developed by a group of 20 specialists co-led by Amit Singal, Chief of Hepatology and Director of the Liver Tumor Program at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and Mark Yarchoan, a medical oncologist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The recommendations have been published in the journal Hepatology.
The researchers said the new system could help address gaps in existing approaches to liver cancer treatment. HCC remains a major global health challenge, with fewer than one in four patients surviving for five years after diagnosis. It is also the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide.
Why a new liver cancer framework was needed
Doctors currently use several systems to assess the stage of HCC and decide on treatment. The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) system is the most widely used, but the researchers said it does not fully reflect the rapid development of new therapies and treatment strategies, particularly in North America.
BEACON-HCC was designed to account for these changes. The team brought together experts from medical oncology, hepatology, surgery, radiology and radiation oncology to develop and refine the recommendations.
The process began with a meeting in February 2025, followed by several rounds of feedback and voting among the specialists.
BEACON-HCC performed better in testing
The researchers tested the framework against 29 real-world HCC cases. Their treatment recommendations were also compared with decisions made by 18 outside experts who were not involved in developing BEACON-HCC.
The treatment choices matched the BEACON-HCC recommendations in 96.6 per cent of cases. The corresponding level of agreement with the established BCLC system was 72.4 per cent, according to the researchers.
Singal said the new framework is intended to improve treatment decisions for a disease that continues to have a poor prognosis.
More focus on surgery and combination treatments
One of the main differences between BEACON-HCC and BCLC is the range of factors considered when deciding treatment.
The new framework takes into account tumour biology and other details, including biomarkers, imaging findings, the extent of liver involvement and whether the cancer has entered blood vessels. This can help doctors assess how aggressively the disease is behaving.
BEACON-HCC also recommends considering potentially curative surgery for a broader group of patients. This includes some patients at the time of diagnosis and others who respond well to initial treatments.
The framework also incorporates combination therapies, reflecting newer evidence that using multiple treatment approaches can improve outcomes in some patients.
UT Southwestern already using the approach
Singal said UT Southwestern’s Liver Tumor Program has already adopted the BEACON-HCC approach, with specialists developing individual treatment plans for patients through its Liver Cancer Clinic.
The programme is also involved in research into preventing HCC and reducing the chances of cancer returning after surgery. Singal leads the institution’s Liver Cancer Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE), supported by the US National Cancer Institute.

Original source: in