Sanjay Kakar, MD
Research Interests
My liver-related research interest is in the molecular distinction between hepatocellular carcinoma and other begin or malignant liver tumors. Using comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), we have found that the characteristic CGH abnormalities of HCC are present even in well-differentiated tumors, which can be useful for distinguishing malignancy from hepatic adenoma. We have also been involved in a study of patients with the fibrolamellar variant of hepatocellular carcinoma, which showed that this tumor follows an aggressive course and the apparently favorable outcome is due to the lack of cirrhosis rather than distinct clinicopathologic features of the tumor. Finally, we have demonstrated that the EGF receptor (EGFR) is strongly expressed in both fibrolamellar carcinoma and conventional HCC, but by different mechanisms.
Selected Publications
- Kakar S, Burgart LJ, Batts KP, Garcia J, Jain D, Ferrell LD. Clinicopathologic features and survival in fibrolamellar carcinoma: comparison with conventional hepatocellular carcinoma with and without cirrhosis. Mod Pathol 2005;18:1417-1423.
- Buckley A, Burgart LJ, Kakar S. EGFR expression and gene copy number in fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma. Hum Pathol 2006; 37:410-4.
- Buckley AF, Burgart LJ, Sahai V, Kakar S. Epidermal growth factor receptor expression and gene copy number in conventional hepatocellular carcinoma. Am J Clin Pathol 2008;129:245-251.
- Shafizadeh N, Ferrell LD, Kakar S. Utility and limitations of glypican-3 expression for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma at both ends of the differentiation spectrum. Mod Pathol 2008, epub Jun 6.
- Assistant Professor
- Pathology
- Director, Surgical Pathology, VAMC
Research Theme
- Progenitor Cells, Growth and Development
Contact Information
- Sanjay.kakar@
ucsf.edu - Phone: (415) 221-4810 x2619
- Fax: (415) 750-6947
- VA Medical Center
- 4150 Clement St.
- Dept. of Pathology, 113B
- San Francisco, CA 94121