When a rare and aggressive liver tumor began appearing in a Kentucky community, researchers at the University of Louisville School of Medicine recognized a repeating pattern from the city’s own history, and an opportunity to once again push the boundaries of environmental and liver disease research. 

Hepatic hemangiosarcoma, an exceptionally rare form of liver cancer, has been linked to exposure to environmental toxins such as vinyl chloride. Decades ago, UofL physicians and scientists played a vital role in identifying a cluster of these tumors tied to industrial exposure at a Louisville manufacturing site – a discovery that helped shape national understanding of occupational and environmental health risksand formed a key partnership between the community, industry and the National Cancer Institute that benefited Louisville and the entire world by identifying the risks of vinyl chloride exposure. 

Today, that research continues. 

Craig McClain, Matt Cave and Ted Smith, allprofessors of internal medicine and pharmacology and toxicology, and their colleagues are once again applying their knowledge to a community partnership to investigate a new cluster of hemangiosarcoma cases identified in another Kentucky community. The work is part of a broader effort within the school’s hepatobiology and toxicology NIH-funded COBRE center, which focuses on understanding how environmental exposures contribute to liver disease.   

“Environmental liver disease remains an underrecognized but critical public health issue,” McClain said. “By combining what we learned historically with today’s advanced tools, we can better understand not only what is happening but how to prevent it going forward.” 

The current investigation highlights how UofL researchers approach complex health challenges: by working directly with affected communities to understand what is happening, assess the risks and help identify ways to reduce harm. While much of the laboratory-based work occurs in Louisville, the impact of this research reaches across the state through outreach initiatives and partnerships focused on protecting public health and preventing future environmental disease. 

The university’s earlier work in the 1970s helped establish the connection between vinyl chloride exposure and hepatic hemangiosarcoma, influencing workplace safety standards and environmental regulations nationwide. That history provides both context and urgency for today’s efforts. 

“What makes this story powerful is the continuity,” McClain said. “We’re building on foundational discoveries made here at UofL but applying them to new challenges using modern science.” 

The investigation into hepatic hemangiosarcoma stands as a focused example of how UofL researchers are applying decades of expertise to a rare and often overlooked disease. By concentrating on the links between environmental exposure and liver tumors, the team is helping expand scientific understanding of how toxicants can trigger serious illness – knowledge that can help prevent disease, inform policy and enhance patient care far beyond a single community. 

As the University of Louisville looks toward the future of medicine, this research underscores how revisiting a rare tumor through modern tools and perspectives can open new pathways for protecting public health. By building on historic discoveries and applying them to today’s challenges, researchers are continuing to chart new frontiers in both understanding and preventing environmentally driven diseases.