Contact

Dr Shahid Khan

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Wing (QEQM)
St Mary's Campus
United Kingdom

shahid.khan@imperial.ac.uk 
020 3312 6254

What we do

Primary liver cancer (PLC) is the 6th commonest cancer globally, and the third highest cause of cancer related deaths in human beings across the whole world. PLC is also increasing. We are leading on a decade long national trial (Asp-PSC) looking at the effects of Aspirin in patients with liver and bowel disease [primary sclerosing cholangitis and inflammatory bowel disease] and establishing the largest biorepository of its kind for such patients to enable future translational studies.

Why it is important

These patients have a high risk of cancer and liver failure, which is often fatal, and there is a current lack of accurate diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers to help diagnose and monitor the disease process and cancer development.

How it can benefit patients

If successful, the trial may show that aspirin safely reduces the risk of cancer in these patients, and the biorepository of hundreds of patients samples collected over 5 years may aid the discovery and validation of novel accurate biomarkers.

Summary of current research

Dr Khan’s other work related to Primary Liver cancer includes epidemiology (national and international), surveillance, biomarkers.

 

Information

Funders

 

Related centres

This study will involve at least 60 partner Hospital Trusts across the entire UK and is co-ordinated out of Imperial Clinical Trials Unit (ICTU).

Useful links for patients

Cancer Research UK Trial webpage

Collaborators and PhD students

Chief Co-investigator is Dr Simon Rushbrook from Norfolk and Norwich

PhD students

  • Maria Qurashi [HCC Surveillance]
  • Nitiwat Sirijun [Novel cancer biomarkers]
Clinical trials
Publications
  • Journal of Hepatology 2026. The Changing Epidemiology of Primary Liver Cancer in the 21st Century. Khan et al. In press
  • Hepatology 2026. Uncovering the Genetic Landscape of Cholangiocarcinoma and Its Subtypes via GWAS and Integrative Analyses. Younghun Han et al. DOI:10.1097/ HEP.0000000000001699
  • Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology 2026:  Cholangiocarcinoma 2026: status quo, unmet needs and priorities. Banales et al.  doi: 10.1038/s41575-025-01153-w.
  • Journal of Hepatology 2025. EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines on the management of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2025.03.007.
  • The Lancet Regional Health – Europe 2025.  Mapping the landscape of biliary tract cancer in Europe: challenges and controversies. Lorenza et al. doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.101171
  • Frontline Gastro 2025. DEBATE:  Pros and Cons of surveillance for cholangiocarcinoma in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis. Vithayathil et al. doi:  10.1136/flgastro-2025-103109.

Our researchers

Dr Shahid A Khan

Dr Shahid A Khan
Professor of Practice (Hepatology)