Description

FREE TO ATTEND for VA and community healthcare professionals

Join us on Saturday, October 18, 2025 for AVAHO's regional meeting focusing on Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)!

Program Objectives:

The Liver Cancer Summit aims to provide an interdisciplinary forum for healthcare professionals to discuss and exchange knowledge on the latest advancements in the management of liver cancer. 

The summit will focus on key developments in the diagnosis, treatment, and multidisciplinary care of patients with liver cancer. 

Attendees will gain insights into the rapidly evolving treatment landscape, including stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), the expanding role of systemic therapy in earlier stages of liver cancer, and updates on liver transplantation criteria and practices. 

Special attention will be given to the integration of palliative care and goals of care discussions, ensuring that patient-centered approaches are incorporated throughout the disease continuum. 

The summit will also feature an interactive mock liver tumor board to highlight the importance of collaborative decision-making in the management of complex cases, fostering a deeper understanding of comprehensive care pathways for liver cancer patients.

Regional meetings are a one-day, locally-focused meeting for AVAHO members and clinicians serving veterans with cancer and hematological disorders. All disciplines in the cancer care process are welcome.

This is an IN-PERSON event.

Federal employees wishing to attend (and are not giving a presentation), can attend the AVAHO regional meeting without seeking approval from their site, VISN, or program office so long as:

1. They are attending on annual leave (AL) or off duty time 
2. They are using personal funds to travel

This event is CE-eligible.

For those wishing to exhibit at our regional meeting, please use the EXHIBITOR REGISTRATION button.

For AVAHO Members, Trainees and IRC Members, please use the REGISTER button and login with your membership e-mail and password. 

If you are having trouble logging in or need to update your information, please reset your login here or contact Candy at candy@avaho.org.

Hotel reservations under the AVAHO Room Block will be available soon.

Any travel arrangements are the responsibility of the individual attendee.

Assessment:

Liver cancer presents a unique set of challenges that requires the collaboration of multiple specialties, including care coordination/nurse navigation, hepatology, interventional radiology, oncology, oncology data specialists, palliative care, pharmacy, radiology, radiation oncology, social work, and surgery (both surgical oncology and transplant surgery). The management of liver cancer has shifted significantly with the introduction of therapies such as trans-arterial radioembolization (TARE), stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), and the increasing use of systemic therapy in earlier stages of the disease. However, the evolving treatment landscape also creates a demand for ongoing education and collaboration among healthcare providers.

There is a critical need for multidisciplinary care in the management of liver cancer due to its complexity and the variety of treatment options available. The advent of new therapies necessitates continuous updates for clinicians to optimize treatment plans for individual patients. Additionally, the importance of palliative care and goals of care discussions must be emphasized, as they are integral to providing holistic, patient-centered management, particularly for those with advanced disease. Liver transplantation for liver cancer, a curative option for selected patients, continues to evolve with new guidelines and selection criteria that require constant reassessment by multidisciplinary teams.

Furthermore, growing evidence supports the use of systemic therapies, including immunotherapies, in various stages of liver cancer, further complicating treatment pathways. The inclusion of palliative care experts in these discussions ensures that patients' quality of life, symptom management, and end-of-life preferences are carefully considered alongside curative approaches. By offering a mock liver tumor board discussion, the summit will provide a practical demonstration of collaborative decision-making, showcasing how specialists from different fields can work together to deliver the best outcomes for patients with liver cancer.

This summit will address these needs by providing updates and best practices across disciplines, enhancing the ability of healthcare professionals to stay abreast of the most current, evidence-based approaches to liver cancer care while ensuring palliative care and goals of care discussions are integrated into the overall management strategy.

Agenda

(Updated Jul. 28, 2025)