Treatment Of Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Research Articles

Real-world efficacy and safety of durvalumab-tremelimumab as second-line systemic therapy after atezolizumab-bevacizumab in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

The efficacy and safety of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma are known. We explored ICI rechallenges with direct switching from 1 ICI regimen to another. This retrospective study included 16 patients who received atezolizumab-bevacizumab (Atezo+Bev) and durvalumab-tremelimumab (Dur+Tre) as the first-line and second-line combination therapy, respectively, at Hiroshima University Hospital. The radiological response and adverse event were evaluated in all patients. Of the 16 patients, 12 were male, and the median age at Atezo+Bev induction was 71 years. The reasons for medication changes were disease progression in 11 patients and adverse events in 5 patients. With Atezo+Bev and Dur+Tre initiation, the Barcelona-Clinic Liver-Cancer stage (A/B/C) progressed in 9/6/3 and 3/4/9 patients and the Child-Pugh classification (A/B/C) progressed in 12/4/0 and 9/6/3 patients, respectively. The disease control rate and overall response rate of Atezo+Bev were 87.5% and 58.3%, respectively, and of Dur+Tre were 62.5% and 0%, respectively. The most common immune-related adverse event in both the Atezo+Bev and Dur+Tre groups was colitis; 3 of the 5 patients with colitis on Atezo+Bev treatment had colitis with Dur+Tre, and 2 had exacerbations. Regarding liver function, ALBI score significantly decreased during Atezo+Bev, but not Dur+Tre, treatment. In patients with colitis following Atezo+Bev, subsequent Dur+Tre treatment may induce colitis recurrence or exacerbation. For immune-related adverse events other than colitis, Dur+Tre could provide relatively safe disease control while maintaining liver function.

Variceal bleeding following treatment with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab in two patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Bleeding-related adverse events may occur due to anti-vascular endothelial growth factors. Here, we report two cases of variceal rupture during atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (ATZ/BV) treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (u-HCC).Case 1 involved a man in his 60s with alcoholic liver cirrhosis (LC) and u-HCC. Seventy-four days after ATZ/BV administration, the patient was admitted for hematemesis. Upper esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) revealed worsening of the esophageal varices (EVs) to F2 grade with active bleeding. Endoscopic variceal ligation successfully achieved hemostasis.Case 2 involved a man in his 70s with alcoholic LC and u-HCC. The patient was admitted with hematemesis 114days after ATZ/BV administration. During EGD, the EVs deteriorated to F3 grade, although hemostasis had already been achieved. The evaluation was discontinued during the observation stage because of the worsening hepatic reserve.Neither patient had EVs warranting prophylactic treatment before ATZ/BV administration, showed a partial tumor response, or had portal vein tumor thrombus. Both patients demonstrated increased total diameters of the collateral veins and splenic volume compared to those before treatment. These findings suggest that ATZ/BV treatment may increase portal pressure. In conclusion, the administration of ATZ/BV to patients with LC and u-HCC necessitates careful management of EVs aggravation and rupture.

Abscopal effect in a patient with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma upon resuming bevacizumab in combination with atezolizumab after radiotherapy.

Combining bevacizumab with atezolizumab enhances the antitumor effects of the treatment by activating an immune response. This combination is approved for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). An abscopal effect is associated with an immune response triggered by radiation-induced immunogenic cell death, based on experimental models. Thus, combining radiotherapy and immunotherapy is expected to induce an abscopal effect. However, the clinical significance of immunotherapy in the abscopal effect remains unknown due to the rarity of clinical cases. Herein, we report a case of advanced HCC with lung and adrenal metastases. The antitumor efficacy of atezolizumab and bevacizumab (atezo/bev) was enhanced following stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), although atezo/bev did not yield a sufficient therapeutic response pre-SBRT. Furthermore, an abscopal effect following SBRT was not observed during atezolizumab alone but was evoked after resuming bevacizumab in combination with atezolizumab, culminating in the patient achieving a complete response status. These findings suggest that immune activation following radiotherapy may be related to the induction of an abscopal effect in clinical practice as well as in experimental settings, and combining immunotherapy with bevacizumab post-radiotherapy could evoke an abscopal effect in a case of HCC, even though immune checkpoint inhibitor use alone may be insufficient.

Dynamic Changes of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio on Predicting Response of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Plus Targeted Therapies for Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Multiple regimens of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) plus targeted therapies are commonly prescribed as first-line treatments for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). Here, we aimed to investigate the correlation between dynamic changes of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and tumor response to the combination of ICIs and targeted therapies for uHCC. Sixty-one patients who received ICIs plus targeted therapies for uHCC were enrolled in this retrospective study. The NLR before and at 3-6 weeks after treatments were assessed to calculate the dynamic NLR changes (ΔNLR). Multivariate logistic regression and Cox regression models were used to explore the relationship between dynamic NLR changes and tumor response or progression-free survival (PFS), respectively. Furthermore, we assessed the predictive effect of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) changes in combination with dynamic NLR changes compared to AFP changes alone. The NLR at 3-6 weeks and ΔNLR after treatments significantly increased in patients who underwent progressive disease (PD), while the baseline NLR showed no significant difference between different tumor responses. Increased NLR and AFP after treatments were both independent predictors of PD (For NLR increase: OR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.47-3.88, P < 0.001; For AFP increase: OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.03-2.17, P = 0.043), and correlated with worse PFS (for NLR increase: HR, 4.08; 95% CI, 1.99-8.36, P < 0.001; for AFP increase: HR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.04-4.24, P = 0.039). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and net reclassification index (NRI) showed that the combination of dynamic NLR and AFP changes was better than AFP changes alone on predicting PD (AUC: 0.83 vs 0.68, P = 0.034; NRI: 0.340, P = 0.048) and PFS (AUC: 0.80 vs 0.70, P = 0.166; NRI: 0.431, P = 0.042). Dynamic changes of NLR might be an effective predictor of the therapeutic response to ICIs plus targeted therapies for uHCC.

Clinical Effectiveness and Safety of Transarterial Chemoembolization: Hepatic Artery Infusion Chemotherapy Plus Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors With or Without Programmed Cell Death Protein-1 Inhibitors for Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma-A Retrospective Study.

Locoregional treatment with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) or hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) and systemic targeted immunotherapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) and programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) inhibitors in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) have achieved promising efficacy. The retrospective study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TACE and HAIC plus TKI with or without PD-1 for uHCC. From November 2020 to February 2024, the data of 44 patients who received TACE-HAIC+TKI+PD-1 (THKP group) and 34 patients who received TACE-HAIC+TKI (THK group) were retrospectively analyzed. Primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and progress-free survival (PFS), and secondary outcomes were objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), conversion rates, and adverse events (AEs). A total of 78 patients were recruited in our single-center study. The patients in THKP group had prolonged median OS [25months, 95% confidence interval (CI) 24.0-26.0 vs 18months, 95% CI 16.1-19.9; p=0.000278], median PFS [16months, 95% CI 14.1-17.9 vs 12months 95% CI 9.6-14.4; p=0.004] and higher ORR (38.6% vs 23.5%, p=0. 156) and DCR (88.6% vs 64.7%, p=0.011) compared with those in THK group. Multivariate analysis showed that treatment option and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level were independent prognostic factors of OS and PFS. The frequency of AEs were similar between the two groups. The THKP group had better efficacy for uHCC than the THK group, with acceptable safety.

Transarterial chemoembolization using drug-eluting beads versus lipiodol in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: propensity score matching.

Since the introduction of drug-eluting beads (DEB), the result comparing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) using lipiodol, also called conventional transarterial chemoembolization (c-TACE), and DEB-TACE shows considerable controversy. The objective of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of c-TACE and DEB-TACE to treat unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). This retrospective study used propensity score matching (PSM) analysis to analyze clinical data from 113 cases of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated at our hospital from September 2016 to July 2021. The safety and efficacy of the two treatment modalities were analyzed after 1:1 matching. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS); the secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), disease control rates (DCRs), and objective response rates (ORRs) at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, and postoperative complications. Twenty-nine patients underwent DEB-TACE and 84 received c-TACE; 28 pairs of patients were eventually matched. After matching, baseline characteristics between groups were comparable. The median PFS of the DEB-TACE group was 10 months compared to 6 months in the c-TACE group (P=0.002). The median OS was 23 months in the DEB-TACE group vs. 14 months in the c-TACE group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.265). The ORR at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months in the DEB-TACE group (69%, 78%, 60%, and 52%) were significantly higher than those in the c-TACE group (39%, 39%, 26%, and 8%) (P<0.05). The DCR at postoperative 3 months was significantly higher in the DEB-TACE group (95%) (P<0.05). There was one case of postoperative liver abscess in the DEB-TACE group, and the patient recovered well after drainage. No serious complications occurred. Compared to c-TACE, DEB-TACE prolonged PFS and exhibited better short-term ORR with a similar level of safety. However, there was no significant advantage in terms of OS.

Imageable Radioembolization Microspheres for Treatment of Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Interim Results from a First-in-Human Trial

PurposeTo determine 6-month interim safety, effectiveness, and multimodal imageability of imageable glass microsphere yttrium-90 (90Y) radioembolization for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a first-in-human trial. Materials and MethodsImageable microspheres (Eye90 Microspheres; ABK Biomedical, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada), a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Breakthrough-Designated Device consisting of glass radiopaque 90Y microspheres visible on computed tomography (CT) and single photon emission CT (SPECT), were used to treat 6 subjects with unresectable HCC. Patients underwent selective (≤2 segments) treatment in a prospective open-label pilot trial. Key inclusion criteria included liver-only HCC, performance status ≤1, total lesion diameter ≤9 cm, and Child-Pugh A status. Prospective partition dosimetry was utilized. Safety (measured by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events [CTCAE] v5), multimodal imageability on CT and SPECT, and 3- and 6-month imaging response by modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging were evaluated. ResultsSeven tumors in 6 subjects were treated and followed to 180 days. Administration success was 100%. Microsphere distribution measured by radiopacity on CT correlated with SPECT. Ninety-day target lesion complete response (CR) was observed in 3 of 6 subjects (50%) and partial response (PR) in 2 (33.3%). At 180 days, target lesion CR was maintained in 3 subjects (50%) and PR in 1 (16.7%). Two subjects could not be reassessed, having undergone intervening chemoembolization. All subjects reported adverse events (AEs), and 5 reported AEs related to treatment. There were no treatment-related Grade ≥3 AEs. ConclusionsRadioembolization using imageable microspheres was safe and effective in 6 subjects with unresectable HCC at 6-month interim analysis. Microsphere distribution by radiopacity on CT correlated with radioactivity distribution by SPECT, providing previously unavailable CT-based tumor targeting information.

Consistent efficacy of hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy irrespective of PD‑L1 positivity in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Atezolizumab/bevacizumab is the first line of treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), combining immune checkpoint inhibitor and anti-VEGF monoclonal antibodies. Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) is administered when the above-described combination fails to confer sufficient clinical benefit. The present study aimed to explore the association between tumor programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) positivity and HAIC response. A total of 40 patients with HCC who had undergone HAIC with available biopsy samples obtained between January 2020 and May 2023 were retrospectively enrolled. Tumor response, progression-free survival (PFS), disease control rate (DCR) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. PD-L1 expression in tumor samples was assessed using a combined positivity score. The response rates of HAIC-treated patients with advanced HCC after failure of atezolizumab/bevacizumab combination therapy were recorded. OS (P=0.9717) and PFS (P=0.4194) did not differ between patients with and without PD-L1 positivity. The objective response rate (P=0.7830) and DCR (P=0.7020) also did not differ based on PD-L1 status. In conclusion, the current findings highlight the consistent efficacy of HAIC, regardless of PD-L1 positivity.

Nivolumab as Second-Line Therapy Improves Survival in Patients with Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Limited data exists for the efficacy and outcomes of nivolumab as a second-line treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of nivolumab in patients with uHCC who experienced disease progression during sorafenib treatment. In this retrospective, observational, multicenter study, adult Child-Turcotte-Pugh A/7B patients with uHCC who tolerated sorafenib therapy but showed disease progression switched to second-line intravenous nivolumab (n = 42). A similar number of consecutive, unselected patients who were maintained on sorafenib therapy, regardless of tumoral response or progression, served as historical controls (n = 38). The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS, defined as the time from starting sorafenib in either group up to death due to any cause) and analyzed by intention-to-treat. The mean age of the overall cohort was 72.4 ± 10.1 years, of whom 87.5% were males and 58.8% had underlying viral etiology. Patients in the two cohorts were similar, except those who received nivolumab had more co-morbidities (70.0% vs. 15.4%), ECOG-2 status (21.4% vs. 15.8%), BCLC stage C (81.0% vs. 47.4%), and extravascular invasion (54.4% vs. 21.8%) (p < 0.05 for all). More patients in the nivolumab arm were Child-Turcotte-Pugh B (35.7% vs. 21.1%, p = 0.15). Median OS was 22.2 months (95% CI: 8.9-49.8) on second-line nivolumab and 11.0 months (95% CI: 3.6-18.4) on sorafenib alone (HR 1.93; 95% CI: 1.1-3.3, p = 0.014). Median OS after starting nivolumab was 10.2 months, and time-to-progression was 4.9 months (95% CI: 3.2-6.3). Nivolumab is an effective second-line treatment option in patients with uHCC who progress on sorafenib, with significantly improved OS. These early real-life data offer encouraging results, similar to those shown in Phase I/IIa clinical trials. Further investigations are warranted for the use of nivolumab as a monotherapy.

Nivolumab (NIVO) plus ipilimumab (IPI) vs lenvatinib (LEN) or sorafenib (SOR) as first-line treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC): First results from CheckMate 9DW.

LBA4008 Background: First-line therapies based on programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors are standard of care (SOC) in uHCC and demonstrate improved outcomes over SOR; however, prognosis remains poor and there is an unmet need for alternative therapies with long-term benefits. Second-line NIVO + IPI demonstrated clinically meaningful efficacy and manageable safety in SOR-treated patients (pts) with HCC in CheckMate 040, leading to its accelerated approval in the United States. We report first results from the preplanned interim analysis of the phase 3, open-label, randomized CheckMate 9DW trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of NIVO + IPI vs LEN or SOR as first-line therapy for pts with uHCC (NCT04039607). Methods: Adult pts with previously untreated HCC not eligible for curative surgical or locoregional therapies, Child-Pugh score 5–6, and ECOG performance status 0–1 were included. Pts were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive NIVO 1 mg/kg + IPI 3 mg/kg Q3W (up to 4 cycles) followed by NIVO 480 mg Q4W or investigator’s choice of LEN 8 mg or 12 mg QD or SOR 400 mg BID until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. NIVO was given for a maximum of 2 years. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints included objective response rate (ORR) and duration of response (DOR) per blinded independent central review (BICR) using RECIST v1.1. Results: In total, 668 pts were randomized to NIVO + IPI (n = 335) or LEN/SOR (n = 333); among 325 pts treated in the LEN/SOR arm, 275 (85%) received LEN. After a median (range) follow-up of 35.2 (26.8–48.9) months (mo), median OS was 23.7 mo with NIVO + IPI vs 20.6 mo with LEN/SOR (HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.65–0.96; P = 0.0180) (Table), with respective 24-mo OS rates (95% CI) of 49% (44–55) vs 39% (34–45). ORR was higher with NIVO + IPI (36%) vs LEN/SOR (13%; P &lt; 0.0001); complete response was observed in 7% of pts with NIVO + IPI vs 2% with LEN/SOR. Median DOR was 30.4 mo with NIVO + IPI vs 12.9 mo with LEN/SOR (Table). A summary of treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) is shown in the Table. Conclusions: NIVO + IPI demonstrated statistically significant OS benefit vs LEN/SOR in pts with previously untreated uHCC, as well as higher ORR and durable responses with a manageable safety profile. These results support this combination as a potential new first-line SOC for uHCC. Clinical trial information: NCT04039607 . [Table: see text]

A single-arm, prospective study on the efficacy and safety of TACE-HAIC combined with lenvatinib and tislelizumab in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

e16143 Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the common tumors in China. In recent years, innovative drugs such as molecular targeted drugs and immune preparations have begun to be used clinically and have achieved good results. Interventional therapy combined with targeted immunotherapy has become a hot topic in HCC treatment research. However, the matching mode, application timing, efficacy and safety of various combination treatment options are still unclear. Therefore, a study of TACE-HAIC combined with lenvatinib and tislelizumab in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma is conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety. Methods: According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 15 patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma were included, all of whom received TACE-HAIC combined with lenvatinib and tislelizumab. The mRECIST criteria is used to evaluate the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR).The CTCAE version 5.0 is used to grade treatment-related adverse events of TACE-HAIC combined with lenvatinib and tislelizumab. Results: Among the 15 patients included in the study, 14 are male and 1 is female. All patients were treated with TACE-HAIC combined with lenvatinib and tislelizumab as planned, and the treatment was well tolerated. The total number of patients for optimal efficacy evaluation is 15, including 5 patients with CR, 8 patients with PR, and 2 patients with SD. The ORR is 86.7%, and DCR is 100% in best efficacy. In the safety analysis set (n = 15), none TEAEs is ≥ grade 3. In the treatment-related adverse events, abdominal pain(8/15, 53.3%), fever(4/15, 26.7%), vomiting(4/15, 26.7%), weight loss(4/15, 26.7%), nausea(2/15, 13.3%), neutropenia(2/15, 13.3%) and liver function damage(1/15, 6.7%) are all ≤ grade 2. Conclusions: TACE-HAIC combined with lenvatinib and tislelizumab has definite efficacy in the treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, with high objective response rate, good treatment tolerance, and controllable treatment-related adverse events. This therapy may be a treatment option for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Clinical trial information: ChiCTR2300067362. [Table: see text]

Efficacy and safety analysis of donafenib combined with transarterial chemoembolization in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A prospective, single-arm, single center, phase II clinical study.

e16134 Background: To observe and assess the efficacy of donafenib combined with TACE in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: It was a prospective, single-arm, single center, and phase II clinical study. A total of 34 initial unresectable HCC patients who had not received any systemic treatment were enrolled. The patients received donafenib ( 100mg po bid), TACE and or not and camrelizumab (200mg iv Q3W). The primary endpoint was short-term efficacy based on mRECIST criteria, with secondary endpoints including PFS, TTR, DCR and adverse events (AEs).The diameter of tumor feeding artery was measured. Results: A total of 36 patients were included in the study, including 26 who received donafenib and TACE and 10 who received donafenib and TACE plus PD-1 inhibitors. A total of 34 subjects were eligible for efficacy evaluation, and among them, there were 4 cases of CR, 17 cases of PR, 10 cases of SD and 3 cases of PD; Four patients (11.8%) successfully underwent conversion therapy and all achieved R0 resection. Two patients achieved a complete pathological response. The ORR was 61.8% and the DCR was 91.2% based on mRECIST criteria. The mPFS was 10.7 months (95%CI: 8.37-NA months), median OS was not reached, median TTR was 1.4 months ( 95% CI: 0.8-6.9 months). The 6 moths and 12 moths progression-free survival rate were 73.4% and 47.9% respectively. Treatment related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in all 25 subjects, and grade 3 TRAE occurred in 4 subjects (11.3%), and no grade 4 or 5 TRAE occurred. The tumor feeding artery diameter was (4.5±1.4)mm pre-treatment, and reduced to (3.2±1.1)mm post-treatment (P = 0.036). The multivariable analysis indicated that the sum of baseline target lesion diameters、best tumor response and post-treatment tumor artery diameter were independent predictor for PFS. Conclusions: TACE combined with donafenib could reduce the tumor feeding artery diameter, which had a good safety profile and a high objective response rate in patients with unresectable HCC. Clinical trial information: ChiCTR2100054041.

Transarterial chemoembolization combined with donafenib or lenvatinib as first-line treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A single-center real-world retrospective study.

e16137 Background: Combined Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment has been proven to be beneficial. This study aimed to retrospectively compare the efficacy and safety of Donafenib (DON)-TACE versus Lenvatinib (LEN)-TACE as first-line treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). Methods: From May 2020 to May 2023, a retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 93 patients with previously untreated uHCC who underwent treatment at the department of Interventional Radiology of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. Among them, 49 were in the DON-TACE group and 44 in the LEN-TACE group. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) according to mRECIST, and the secondary endpoints included objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and safety outcome. Results: As of the data cut-off date Aug 26, 2023, the median PFS was 221 days (95% CI 141–366) in the DON-TACE group and 173 days (95% CI 108–215) in the LEN-TACE group (HR = 0.783, 95% CI 0.462–1.325, P = 0.362).ORR and DCR of the DON-TACE group were 55.1% (95% CI 40.23–69.33) and 75.51% (95% CI 61.13–86.66), respectively, while those of the LEN-TACE group were 61.36% (95% CI 45.49–75.64) and 81.82% (95% CI 67.29–91.81). No significant difference was observed either in ORR(P = 0.689) or DCR(P = 0.627) between the two groups. The incidence rates of total adverse events for any grade (85.71% vs 100.00%, P = 0.027) and ≥Grade 3 (22.496% vs 45.45%, P = 0.019) were significantly lower in the DON-TACE group. In addition, the incidence rates of AST increased (27.27% vs 56.82%, P = 0.005), diarrhea (6.12% vs 25.00%, P = 0.011), vomiting (0% vs 40.91%, P &lt; 0.001), proteinuria (0% vs 18.18%, P = 0.011), gastrointestinal hemorrhage (0% vs 13.64%, P = 0.048) and hypertension (2.04% vs 36.36%, P &lt; 0.001) for any grade were also significantly lower in the DON-TACE group. Conclusions: DON-TACE and LEN-TACE showed comparable efficacy as first-line therapies for uHCC patients. DON-TACE demonstrated a lower incidence of severe adverse events.

An open-label, multicenter study investigating RP2 oncolytic immunotherapy in combination with second-line systemic atezolizumab combined with bevacizumab in patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma.

TPS4191 Background: Despite advances in treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), long-term survival rates remain poor. The combination of atezolizumab (Atezo) plus bevacizumab (Bev) is approved as frontline therapy for advanced HCC, but only a minority of patients (pts) respond and secondary resistance usually occurs within months. HCC has an immune-suppressed tumor microenvironment (TME), mediated by activated immune checkpoint signaling and angiogenesis pathways, which may contribute to therapeutic resistance. RP2 is an enhanced potency oncolytic herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) that expresses the fusogenic gibbon ape leukemia virus glycoprotein with the R sequence deleted (GALV-GP-R–), GM-CSF, and an anti–CTLA-4 antibody-like molecule. The direct oncolytic effect coupled with immune stimulation by RP2 in the TME is intended to provide systemic antitumor activity and synergize with anti–PD-1/PD-L1 agents, such as Atezo. Preclinical data have demonstrated improved distribution of oncolytic HSV within tumors in combination with Bev, supporting the clinical combination of RP2 with Bev. This study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of RP2 combined with Atezo plus Bev as second-line systemic therapy for unresectable and advanced HCC (NCT05733598). Methods: This is an open-label, single arm, phase 2 trial. Up to 30 pts will be enrolled and receive RP2 in combination with Atezo plus Bev. Key inclusion criteria include advanced unresectable HCC with ≥1 measurable tumor of ≥1 cm in longest diameter, Child-Pugh class A, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 to 1, and progression on 1 prior systemic treatment, which must have included a PD-1/PD-L1–directed agent. Key exclusion criteria include untreated/incompletely treated esophageal and/or gastric varices with bleeding or at high risk for bleeding and macroscopic invasion of the tumor into any major blood vessel(s) and/or main bile ducts. Pts will receive intratumoral RP2 Q2W for 4 doses, then Q3W for up to 4 doses. Bev will be given at 10 mg/kg Q2W starting with the first dose of RP2 then at 15 mg/kg Q3W starting with cycle 4; Atezo will be given at 840 mg Q2W for cycles 2 and 3, then at 1200 mg Q3W starting with cycle 4. Pts will receive treatment until confirmed progressive disease, loss of clinical benefit, or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint is overall response rate (ORR), defined as the proportion of pts achieving a best overall response of complete response or partial response per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1 as modified for this study. Secondary endpoints are safety, ORR using HCC-modified RECIST, duration of response, complete response rate, and progression-free survival. Clinical trial information: NCT05733598 .

The efficacy of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients.

e16214 Background: The IMbrave150 trial established that the combination of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (AB) confers a significant progression-free survival (PFS) benefit when compared with sorafenib in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the nuanced impact of cirrhotic status on treatment response was not established by the study, leaving a critical aspect of patient stratification and outcomes yet to be fully understood. Methods: We conducted a retrospective single-center study of patients with HCC treated with AB between 2020 and 2023. Eligible patients were those who underwent at least one cycle of AB and had a follow-up period of at least three months post-AB initiation. Independent samples T-test and X2 and Fisher’s exact tests were used to evaluate associations between variables. PFS was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared according to cirrhotic status using the log-rank test. A Cox regression analysis was performed to estimate survival hazard ratios (HR). Results: Among 28 patients, the mean age at diagnosis was 64 years (SD 11), 18 (64%) were male, 26 (93%) had Child-Pugh (CP) class A liver function, and 18 (64%) were cirrhotic. Most patients presented with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage C disease (61%) and received AB in the first-line setting (93%). Clinicopathological features according to cirrhotic status are detailed in Table 1. With a median follow-up of 14 months (95% CI 8-20) since AB initiation, 16 progression events were recorded, resulting in a median PFS of 12 months (95%CI 6-18) for the entire cohort. Univariate analysis revealed an inferior median PFS in patients with cirrhotic HCC (7 months [95%CI 5-9] vs. not reached [p = 0.038]). However, in a multivariate Cox analysis, only obesity emerged as a significant predictor of an inferior PFS (HR 4.6; 95% CI 1.3 - 16.0, p = 0.018). Conclusions: In our study, cirrhosis was not associated with an inferior PFS. Notably, the majority of cirrhotic patients in this cohort exhibited CP A liver function, so uncertainties persist regarding the impact of cirrhosis on cancer progression in patients with CP B and C liver function. Further investigation is warranted to comprehensively evaluate whether cirrhotic, non-cirrhotic, and obese subgroups respond differently to AB therapy. [Table: see text]

The safety and efficacy of adebelimumab combined apatinib and hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A retrospective study.

e16175 Background: The combination of oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, and leucovorin (FOLFOX) used for hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) has shown promise for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. The combined therapy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) is now an approved first-line approach for unresectable HCC. This study evaluated the safety and the effect of combining Adebelimumab (a PD-L1 inhibitors) and Apatinib (a tyrosinase kinase inhibitor) with HAIC-FOLFOX for unresectable HCC patients. Methods: The records of patients with unresectable HCC treated with HAIC from March 2023 to November 2023 at our center were retrospectively reviewed. Eligible patients were given a maximum of four cycles of FOLFOX-HAIC, along with Adebelimumab and Apatinib, until either disease progression or intolerable toxicities emerged. The primary outcome measured was the safety and the objective response rate (ORR) based on the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) v1.1 and modify RECIST of combined therapy. Results: Twenty patients were enrolled in the study. The most frequent grade ≥3 or above treatment-related adverse events included elevation of AST (50%) and diminished PLT count (15%). There was no treatment related death. Based on RECIST v1.1 and mRECIST criteria, the confirmed ORR stood at 35% and 70%, with a disease control rate of 85% both. Conclusions: The combination of Adebelimumab, apatinib, and FOLFOX-HAIC demonstrated manageable safety and encouraging results for unresectable HCC.

Efficacy and safety of donafenib combined with anti-PD-1 antibodies for initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): A retrospective real-world study.

e16131 Background: Given its clear efficacy and high safety demonstrated in the phase 3 ZGDH3 study, donafenib has been recommended by the Chinese guidelines for the first-line treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). Recently, combination therapies have shown favorable results. However, the clinical experience of donafenib combined with anti-PD-1 therapy for uHCC has not yet been investigated. Thus, we aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of donafenib combined with anti-PD-1 antibody in the treatment of uHCC. Methods: A single-center, retrospective study was performed based on the medical records of consecutive patients diagnosed with HCC who were not suitable for curative surgery at Hunan Provincial People's Hospital from July 2021 to September 2023. Patient with ≥18 years, no prior systemic therapy, having at least one measurable lesion (per mRECIST) were enrolled. Patients were treated with donafenib and anti-PD-1 antibodies until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity, local treatment such as TACE, HAIC or ablation were allowed. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) by mRecist criteria, and secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) by mRecist criteria, and safety. The last follow-up time was December 15, 2023. Results: In total, 48 patients were enrolled: 87.5% males, median age 59.5 years (range, 32.0-78.0), 95.8% ECOG of 0, 68.8% HBV positive, 14.6% BCLC stage B, 75.0% BCLC stage C, 47.9% baseline AFP≥400 ng/mL, 70.8% with macrovascular invasion. Among them, 9 patients (18.8%) received donafenib combined with anti-PD-1 antibody as first-line treatment, 37 (77.1%) with concurrent TACE(n = 25) or HAIC(n = 6) or both as treatment(n = 6), 2 (4.2%) received ablation treatment. At the time of data cut-off, the median follow-up time was 10.0 months (95% CI, 6.37-12.2). Considering efficacy, 9 pts (18.7%) achieved complete response, 20 (41.7%) achieved partial response, 17 (35.4%) had stable disease, and 2(4.2%) had progressive disease. The ORR and DCR were 60.4% and 95.8% by mRecist, respectively. Median progression-free survival was 15.8 months (95% CI, 8.9-NA). Median overall survival was not reached, 12-month OS rate were 90.7% (95% CI:73.7%-96.9%). In terms of safety, 44 pts (91.7%) had TRAEs. The incidence of ≥grade 3 TRAEs was 33.3% (16/48). Common TRAEs included elevated AST(45.8%), hand-foot syndrome (39.6%), decreased platelet count(35.4%),elevated ALT(31.2%), rash (25.0%) and decreased white blood cell count (14.6%). Grade 3/4 TRAEs included elevated AST(10.4%), elevated ALT(8.3%), rash(8.3%) and hand-foot syndrome (8.3%). No grade 5 TRAEs were observed. Conclusions: Donafenib combined with anti-PD-1 antibodies shows promising efficacy and manageable toxicity in patients with initially uHCC.

Second-line systematic strategy options for the progression of lenvatinib plus tislelizumab treating unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A retrospective study.

e16135 Background: Lenvatinib plus Tislelizumab (LEN+TIS) is a first-line systemic treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) in the real world, however, most uHCC ultimately fail to respond to first-line therapy due to tumor progression or intolerable adverse effects. The progression-free survival (PFS) of Lenvatinib was approximately 8 months in both REFLECT and LEA-002 studies. Therefore, there were doubts about the second-line therapy after progressive disease (PD) of LEN+TIS, and no studies hade reported the specific switching mode. Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of the first-line treatment of uHCC with LEN+TIS in National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital &amp; Shenzhen Hospital from April 2019 to December 2023. According to the actual use of drugs, Group A changed Lenvatinib to Regorafenib while Tislelizumab was not changed after PD of LEN+TIS; Group B replaced with Regorafenib plus other immune checkpoint inhibitors (including PD-1, PDL-1) after PD of LEN+TIS. The initial dose of Regorafenib was 80 to 160 mg, which could be adjusted according to patient tolerability, with Regorafenib administered orally once daily for the first 3 weeks, every 4 weeks as a cycle; Tislelizumab given 200mg intravenously every 3 weeks. Both group A and B were subdivided into two subgroups based on whether PFS of LEN+TIS had been more than 8 months. Short- and long-term outcomes were assessed by two independent radiologists according to mRESCIST criteria, all statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20. Results: After rigorous screening, a total of 446 samples were recruited in this study, including 208 in group A and 238 in group B. The baseline characteristics were comparable between the two groups, all patients were Child-Pugh grade A, and the median follow-up time was 9.8 months. Group A had higher objective response rates (ORR: 31.2%vs26.9%), PFS (7.6vs6.1months), and median overall survival (mOS: 12.8vs11.2months). Subgroup analysis showed that patients in group A who had first-line PFS shorter than 8 months had a better treatment effect than those with first-line PFS longer than 8 months (ORR: 36.9%vs17.7%; DCR:69.2%vs46.8%;PFS: 8.7vs 5.1months; OS: 14.4vs8.9months; P&lt;0.05); patients in group B who were treated with first-line systemic PFS shorter than 8 months was worse than that with first-line PFS longer than 8 months (ORR:12.2%vs38.6%; DCR:45.3%vs68.9%;PFS:5.6vs6.4months;OS:9.1vs12.6months; P&lt;0.05). No new adverse events were observed, no treatment-related deaths occurred in either group. Conclusions: If the PFS of LEN+TIS was shorter than 8 months, Lenvatinib should be changed to Regorafenib, Tislelizumab could be not changed. And if the PFS of LEN+TIS was longer than 8 months, Lenvatinib and Tislelizumab should be changed at the same time, which seemed to achieve better results.

Lenvatinib (Lenv) plus tislelizumab (Tis) combined with or without transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in first-line treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC): A prospective, non-randomized, open-label, phase II cohort study.

e16169 Background: The synergistic potential of programmed death protein-1 inhibitors and tyrosine kinase inhibitors in treating uHCC has been established. TACE, a cornerstone in uHCC therapy, primes the tumor microenvironment for immunotherapy by releasing neoantigens and inducing ischemia. This study explores the efficacy and safety of Lenv plus Tis, combined with or without TACE, in a first-line setting. Methods: This phase II study enrolled patients (pts) with pathologically and/or radiologically diagnosed uHCC eligible for embolization, with at least one measurable lesion, Child-Pugh class A/B, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-1. Pts received Tis (200mg every 3 weeks) and Lenv (oral dose adjusted by weight: 8mg for &lt;60kg and 12mg for ≥60kg) with or without conventional TACE, as determined by the treating physician. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR), with secondary endpoints including overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and disease control rate (DCR). Results: By the data cutoff on January 27, 2024, 37 pts were enrolled: 12 received Lenv+Tis (cohort 1), and 25 received Lenv+Tis+TACE (cohort 2). Median follow-up time was 10.66 months. The ORR was 33.3% in cohort 1 and 68.0% in cohort 2, with DCRs of 100% and 96%, respectively (mRECIST). Median OS was 10.85 months (95% CI, 4.76-16.95) for cohort 1 and 13.61 months (95%CI, NE-NE) for cohort 2. Median PFS was 10.85 months (95% CI, NE-NE) for cohort 1, and 11.86 months (95% CI, 6.49-16.73) for cohort 2. Grade 3-4 treatment-emergent adverse events (teAE) occurred in 50% of cohort 1 and 68% of cohort 2. No fatal adverse event was reported. The most common grade 3-4 teAE (incidence &gt;10%) were anaemia (17%) in cohort 1, and decreased platelet count (16%), hypertension (16%), rash (16%), fatigue (12%), elevated ALT (12%) in cohort 2. Conclusions: Both Lenv+Tis and Lenv+Tis+TACE showed promising efficacy and manageable safety in the first-line treatment of uHCC. More pts were recruiting to further prove these results. Clinical trial information: NCT05842317 . [Table: see text]

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with donafenib as first-line therapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC): A real-world clinical study.

e16145 Background: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of TACE combined with Donafenib, which is as a new tyrosine kinase inhibitors therapy recommended by the China liver cancer staging (CNLC) system for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). Methods: We conducted a single-center, retrospective study on patients diagnosed with uHCC treated by TACE plus Donafenib as the first-line therapy between May 2021 and September 2023 at The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. The primary outcomes evaluated in this study were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Local response, one-year survival rate, safety and tolerability were the secondary outcomes. Results: All of 48 eligible patients by August, 2023, with the median age of 59 years. The clinical characteristics were as follows: BCLC stage A:2 (4.2%), B:16 (33.3%), and C:30 (62.5%); Child-Pugh class A:33 (68.8%) and B:15 (31.2%); ECOG PS 0: 27 (56.2%) and 1: 21 (43.7%). In this study, 10 (20.8%) patients had huge intrahepatic lesions, 15 (31.2%) subjects exhibited extrahepatic metastases at multiple sites, 19 (42.2%) patients presented with portal vein tumor thrombus, and 4 patients were diffuse-type HCC.107 TACE sessions were performed. Three patients had liver transplantation as frequent therapy, and histopathological examination of tissue from these subjects revealed complete necrotic foci. The median PFS was 12.8 months (95% CI: 8.66–NA) , mOS was not reached and the one-year OS rate was 87.5% (95% CI: 77%-97%) in the survival results. The tumor objective response rate was 58.3% with 14.5% complete response and 43.7% partial response based on mRECIST assessment. The disease control rate of the study group was 81.3%. The most common treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) observed were elevated aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels (75.0%), increase in bilirubin level (72.9%), elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (54.2%), hand-foot syndrome (53.1%), diarrhea (29.1%), rashes (22.9%), hair loss (18.4%) and hypertension (12.5%). Twenty-three (46.9%) patients presented with grade 3 or 4 TRAEs including elevated AST levels (22.4%), elevated ALT levels (16.3%), increase in bilirubin level (4%), diarrhea (4%) and hypertension (2%). No Grade 5 TRAEs were observed. Conclusions: The combination of TACE and Donafenib presented good efficacy and tolerability, which could be potentially used as the first-line treatment of Chinese uHCC patients.