Development and validation of a modified albumin-bilirubin grade and α-fetoprotein score (mALF score) for hepatocellular carcinoma patients receiving atezolizumab and bevacizumab

Neoadjuvant therapies in resectable hepatocellular carcinoma: Exploring strategies to improve prognosis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a challenging malignancy, often necessitates surgical intervention, notably liver resection. However, the high recurrence rate, reaching 70% within 5 years post-resection, significantly impacts patient outcomes. Neoadjuvant therapies aim to preoperatively address this challenge, reducing lesion size, improving surgical resection rates, deactivating potential micro-metastases, and ultimately lowering postoperative recurrence rates. This review concentrates on advances in research on and clinical use of neoadjuvant therapies for HCC, with particular attention to the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting programmed cell death-1 (PD-1), programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein-4 (CTLA-4). Ongoing clinical studies exploring immunotherapy combined with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), interventional therapy, radiotherapy, and other modalities offer promising insights into overcoming resistance to monotherapies. In summary, neoadjuvant therapies hold significant promise in terms of improving the prognosis for patients with HCC and enhancing long-term survival, particularly through innovative combination strategies.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Camrelizumab Plus Rivoceranib Versus Sorafenib as a First-Line Therapy for Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the Chinese Health Care System

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Camrelizumab plus rivoceranib showed significant clinical benefits in progression-free survival and overall survival compared to sorafenib in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to assess its cost effectiveness from the perspective of Chinese health care system.

METHODS

A Markov state-transition model was developed based on the Phase 3 randomized CARES-310 clinical trial data. Health state utility values were obtained from the CARES-310 clinical trial, and direct medical costs were derived from the relevant literature and local charges. The measured outcomes included quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Probabilistic and one-way sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the uncertainty of the model.

RESULTS

In the base-case analysis, the incremental effectiveness and cost of camrelizumab plus rivoceranib versus sorafenib were 0.41 QALYs and $13,684.84, respectively, resulting in an ICER of $33,619.98/QALY, lower than the willingness-to-pay threshold of China ($35,864.61/QALY). Subgroup analyses revealed that the ICERs of camrelizumab plus rivoceranib versus sorafenib were $35,920.01 and $29,717.98 in patients with ALBI grade 1 and grade 2, respectively. One-way sensitivity analyses indicated that the cost of camrelizumab, the proportion of patients receiving subsequent treatment in the camrelizumab plus rivoceranib group, and the cost of rivoceranib were the most significant factors in the base-case analysis. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis suggested that the probabilities of cost effectiveness of camrelizumab plus rivoceranib were 61.27%, 51.46%, and 82.78% for any grade, and ALBI grade 1 and grade 2, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Camrelizumab plus rivoceranib was more cost effective than sorafenib as first-line therapy for unresectable HCC in the Chinese setting.

Predicting Outcomes of Atezolizumab and Bevacizumab Treatment in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

A combination of atezolizumab with bevacizumab (AB) is the first regimen that has shown superiority compared to sorafenib and is now being used as the systemic treatment of choice for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with Barcelona Liver Cancer Clinic stage C. However, a considerable number of patients do not achieve survival or significant responses, indicating the need to identify predictive biomarkers for initial and on-treatment decisions in HCC patients receiving AB. In this manuscript, we summarized the current data from both experimental and clinical studies. This review will be beneficial for both clinicians and researchers in clinical practice as well as those designing experimental, translational, or clinical studies.

Response Prediction Model of Atezolizumab plus Bevacizumab in Patients with Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Multicenter Retrospective Study

INTRODUCTION

Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (ATZ+BV) treatment has become the first-line regimen for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (u-HCC). Prediction of response to it might be clinically beneficial. Using peripheral blood parameters, we aimed to construct a prediction model for ATZ+BV treatment.

METHODS

Clinical records of 119 patients with u-HCC treated by ATZ+BV were retrospectively analyzed. The primary outcome measurement was defined as any-size reduction at the initial image evaluation. Using baseline values of peripheral blood parameters, a prediction model was constructed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Validation was performed internally by bootstrap method.

RESULTS

The primary outcome was achieved in 46 patients. Univariate analysis showed that C-reactive protein (CRP), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were possible predictors. CRP and DCP, and NLR and PLR had correlation (correlation coefficient >0.3), so we used CRP and NLR as representative factors, respectively. Multivariate analysis constructed the following prediction model: Logit = 1.62-0.61×[CRP] -0.38×[Log10AFP] -0.37×[NLR]. Bootstrapped median (95% confidence interval) of coefficients of CRP, Log10AFP, NLR were -0.64 (-1.46 ∼ -0.11), -0.40 (-0.82 ∼ -0.03), and -0.38 (-0.74 ∼ -0.05), respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (95% confidence interval) was 0.73 (0.60-0.80). Median overall survival of the favorably and unfavorably predicted groups were 17.0 and 11.0 months (p = 0.03), respectively.

DISCUSSION

In patients with u-HCC treated by ATZ+BEV, a prediction model constructed using baseline values of CRP, AFP, and NLR had impact on any-size reduction at the initial image evaluation and on prognosis.