1
|
Li L, Li ZZ, Pan LX, Su JY, Huang S, Ma L, Zhong JH. Adjuvant Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Curative Treatment: Several Unanswered Questions. J Clin Transl Hepatol 2024; 12:525-533. [PMID: 38779519 PMCID: PMC11106350 DOI: 10.14218/jcth.2024.00030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Most patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have a poor prognosis. Hepatectomy and local ablation are the main curative treatments for HCC. Nevertheless, the recurrence rate after hepatectomy or ablation is up to 70%, which seriously affects patient prognosis. Several adjuvant therapies have been explored to reduce postoperative recurrence. However, although a variety of adjuvant therapies have been shown to reduce the recurrence rate and improve overall survival, a standard consensus of national HCC guidelines for adjuvant treatment is lacking. Therefore, there are significant differences in the recommendations for adjuvant therapy for HCC between the Eastern and Western guidelines. A variety of adjuvant treatment methods, such as antiviral therapy, transarterial chemoembolization or traditional Chinese medicine, are recommended by the Chinese HCC guidelines. However, Western guidelines make few recommendations other than antiviral therapy. Adjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors are recommended only in the recently updated American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases guidelines. This review summarized the existing adjuvant therapy options after curative hepatectomy or ablation and discusses several important dilemmas of adjuvant treatments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Le Li
- Hepatobiliary Surgery Department, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China
- Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Emergency Department, The People’s Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Zhen-Zhen Li
- Pathology Department, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Li-Xin Pan
- Hepatobiliary Surgery Department, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Jia-Yong Su
- Hepatobiliary Surgery Department, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Shan Huang
- Hepatobiliary Surgery Department, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Liang Ma
- Hepatobiliary Surgery Department, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Jian-Hong Zhong
- Hepatobiliary Surgery Department, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Early Prevention and Treatment for Regional High Frequency Tumor (Guangxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, Nanning, Guangxi, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Early Prevention and Treatment for Regional High Frequency Tumor, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Foerster F, Gairing SJ, Ilyas SI, Galle PR. Emerging immunotherapy for HCC: A guide for hepatologists. Hepatology 2022; 75:1604-1626. [PMID: 35253934 PMCID: PMC9117522 DOI: 10.1002/hep.32447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
HCC is one of the most common cancers worldwide, and the third leading cause of cancer-related death globally. HCC comprises nearly 90% of all cases of primary liver cancer. Approximately half of all patients with HCC receive systemic therapy during their disease course, particularly in the advanced stages of disease. Immuno-oncology has been paradigm shifting for the treatment of human cancers, with strong and durable antitumor activity in a subset of patients across a variety of malignancies including HCC. Immune checkpoint inhibition with atezolizumab and bevacizumab, an antivascular endothelial growth factor neutralizing antibody, has become first-line therapy for patients with advanced HCC. Beyond immune checkpoint inhibition, immunotherapeutic strategies such as oncolytic viroimmunotherapy and adoptive T-cell transfer are currently under investigation. The tumor immune microenvironment of HCC has significant immunosuppressive elements that may affect response to immunotherapy. Major unmet challenges include defining the role of immunotherapy in earlier stages of HCC, evaluating combinatorial strategies that use targeting of the immune microenvironment plus immune checkpoint inhibition, and identifying treatment strategies for patients who do not respond to the currently available immunotherapies. Herein, we review the rationale, mechanistic basis and supporting preclinical evidence, and available clinical evidence for immunotherapies in HCC as well as ongoing clinical trials of immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Friedrich Foerster
- Department of Medicine I, University Medical Center of the Johannes-Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Simon Johannes Gairing
- Department of Medicine I, University Medical Center of the Johannes-Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Sumera Irie Ilyas
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Peter Robert Galle
- Department of Medicine I, University Medical Center of the Johannes-Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Chen S, Wu Z, Shi F, Mai Q, Wang L, Wang F, Zhuang W, Chen X, Chen H, Xu B, Lai J, Guo W. Lenvatinib plus TACE with or without pembrolizumab for the treatment of initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma harbouring PD-L1 expression: a retrospective study. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2021; 148:2115-2125. [PMID: 34453221 PMCID: PMC9293824 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-021-03767-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Purpose The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the clinical outcomes of pembrolizumab-lenvatinib-transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) versus lenvatinib-TACE sequential therapy in selected populations of Chinese patients with initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) harbouring programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression. Methods Consecutive patients with initial PD-L1-positive uHCC who received pembrolizumab-lenvatinib-TACE or lenvatinib-TACE sequential therapy were retrospectively identified from three medical institutions during 2016–2020. The primary endpoints included the rate of conversion therapy, defined as converting initially uHCC to hepatectomy, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS); secondary endpoint was the frequency of key adverse events (AEs). Results In total, 220 consecutively recruited patients were retrospectively reviewed, 78 of whom were ineligible according to the current criteria, leaving 142 patients [pembrolizumab-lenvatinib-TACE: n = 70, median age 58 years (range 36–69) and lenvatinib-TACE: n = 72, 57 years (35–68)] who were eligible for the study. The median duration of follow-up was 27 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 26.3–28.7 months]. At the last follow-up, the rate of conversion therapy was 25.7% in the pembrolizumab-lenvatinib-TACE group and 11.1% in the lenvatinib-TACE group (p = 0.025). The median OS was 18.1 months (95% CI 16.5–20.7) in the pembrolizumab-lenvatinib-TACE group versus 14.1 months (95% CI 12.2–16.9) in the lenvatinib-TACE group [hazard ratio (HR) 0.56, 95% CI 0.38–0.83; p = 0.004]. A distinct difference in the median PFS interval between the groups was detected [9.2 months (95% CI 7.1–10.4) in the pembrolizumab-lenvatinib-TACE group vs. 5.5 months (95% CI 3.9–6.6) in the lenvatinib-TACE group (HR 0.60; 95% CI 0.39–0.91; p = 0.006)]. The rates of the key AEs assessed, which were hypertension, nausea, and rash, were higher in the pembrolizumab-lenvatinib-TACE group than in the lenvatinib-TACE group (all p < 0.05). Conclusion Among the selected populations of patients with initial PD-L1-positive uHCC, pembrolizumab-lenvatinib-TACE sequential therapy may have promising antitumour activity, with an acceptable conversion rate and a well-characterized safety profile.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Song Chen
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Zhiqiang Wu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Feng Shi
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Cancer Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Provincial Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 106, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Qicong Mai
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Cancer Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Provincial Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 106, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Liguang Wang
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, Foshan First People's Hospital, No. 81, North Lingnan Dadao, Chancheng District, Foshan, 528000, China
| | - Fan Wang
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Wenquan Zhuang
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Xiaoming Chen
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Cancer Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Provincial Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 106, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Huanwei Chen
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, Foshan First People's Hospital, No. 81, North Lingnan Dadao, Chancheng District, Foshan, 528000, China
| | - Bo Xu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Jiaming Lai
- Department of Hepatobiliary-pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Wenbo Guo
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Foerster F, Galle PR. The Current Landscape of Clinical Trials for Systemic Treatment of HCC. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:1962. [PMID: 33921731 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13081962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Liver cancer is a life-threatening disease. Apart from surgery and catheter-guided therapies, drugs are a central pillar for its treatment. Clinical trials are research studies that are designed to evaluate the treatment effect of a given drug. Therefore, they are the driving force behind innovation and medical progress. One such innovation in the past years has been immunotherapy, which has become increasingly important for treating cancer. Recently, the first such therapy has been approved for the treatment of liver cancer. Current clinical trials are exploring the benefit of immunotherapy and other therapies for this disease. This article gives an overview of such trials paying attention to the different underlying treatment strategies and the varying clinical settings, depending on the stage of the disease. Abstract The clinical development of systemic treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has gained significant momentum in recent years. After the unexpected failure of the phase 3 trials testing the PD1-inhibitors nivolumab and pembrolizumab as monotherapy in advanced HCC, a multitude of trials employing different agents in various combinations and at different disease stages have been initiated. The first positive results reported for the combination of atezolizumab and bevacizumab, as the first line treatment of advanced HCC, will bring lasting change to the management of HCC and has increased the odds of success for alternative combination therapies. This review article seeks to provide clarity on the complex and evolving landscape of clinical trials on systemic treatments of HCC. It covers current trials which test various systemic treatments (i) in the first and second line in advanced HCC, (ii) in intermediate HCC, (iii) as adjuvant as well as (iv) neoadjuvant strategies, and (v) including immune interventions other than immune checkpoint inhibition.
Collapse
|