Liver cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world killing most people who have it within 3 years if not treated in time. If liver cancer is diagnosed in time the tumor can be removed with surgery, treated with drugs and injections with chemotherapy, or removed by laser energy with radiation therapy. Chemotherapy can be done through drug injections where it targets and destroys cancerous cells. This process can be effective, but can also kill normal healthy cells that surround the cancerous cells. Radiation is done by using laser like energy also targeting cancerous cells and destroying them.

Although treatments can kill cancer tumor cells, they are not always promised to work at 100%. Hepatitis infections (such as hepatitis b and hepatitis c), and alcohol abuse are outside factors that can cause liver cancer, but inside our body is a cell generator called Late SV40 factor (LSF). LSF helps in creating normal cells and liver cancer cells. It is shown that LSF is in abundant amounts in liver cancer cells, and liver cancer cells need LSF to survive and reproduce.

Therefore, if liver cancer cells do not have any LSF, they will not be able to live. This is just like food to humans, without food, we will not be able to survive let alone reproduce. Normal cells do not need LSF to develop but liver cancer cells do need LSF to develop. Since normal cells do not need LSF to be created, an inhibitor for LSF would be able to destroy tumor cells without interrupting the growth of normal cells. An inhibitor acts like a guard for DNA, it blocks the LSF from entering, therefore stopping LSF from attaching itself to the liver cancer DNA and copying the cancerous cells.

The difference between chemotherapy now and LSF inhibitors is that chemotherapy kills our non-cancerous cells and LSF doesn't. New research shows that an inhibitor called Factor Qunolinone Inhibitor 1 (FQI1) attaches to the DNA and blocks LSF from coming in. If the growth of LSF is prevented, liver cancer cells will not be able to grow, divide, and multiply. Just like if we were deprived of our everyday necessities, it would be more than difficult to progress in life. Once this drug is known to be a successful way to block LSF from entering the liver cancer DNA, it can be tested on humans and eventually used as a treatment for cancer. This will greatly benefit the lives of those who are affected by liver cancer.