Emerging data on immune checkpoint inhibitors in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant setting for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a form of liver cancer that commonly arises in patients with chronic liver disease. Patients who present with early-stage disease, even after curative intent resection or ablation, are likely to develop local recurrence or metastatic disease. Chronic inflammation disrupts the tightly relegated immune system of the liver, making it more susceptible to carcinogenesis. In turn, research has focused on leveraging immunotherapy for these patients. This approach has primarily been accomplished through immune checkpoint inhibitors, which are monoclonal antibodies that inhibit immune checkpoints and restore T cells’ activity against cancer cells. The IMbrave150 and HIMALAYA trials established immunotherapy as the first-line treatment for patients with advanced HCC. Therefore, there has been interest in expanding the indications for immunotherapy among patients with HCC to the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings. Furthermore, locoregional therapies, like radiation therapy, may be able to prime the tumor microenvironment and make it more susceptible to immunotherapy, thereby improving response to treatment. We herein review recent research and clinical trials focused on the use of immunotherapy in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant setting for patients with HCC.