Predictive biomarkers of survival in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma receiving atezolizumab plus bevacizumab treatment

CRAFITY score as a predictive marker for refractoriness to atezolizumab plus bevacizumab therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma: a multicenter retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Although atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atezo/Bev) therapy has been used as the preferred first-line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), up to 26% of patients do not achieve disease control, suggesting alternative treatments might be more beneficial for such patients. We investigated key predictors for refractoriness to Atezo/Bev therapy, particularly in the first-line setting.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 302 patients with HCC who received Atezo/Bev therapy between October 2020 and September 2022 across nine hospitals in Japan. Refractoriness was defined as best overall response (BOR) of progressive disease or stable disease and a progression-free survival (PFS) of < 180 days (RECIST v1.1). Clinical benefit was defined as BOR of partial/complete response or stable disease with PFS of ≥ 180 days. Baseline characteristics and potential predictors, identified through literature review, were compared between these groups. Stratifications of overall survival (OS), and PFS were also assessed.

RESULTS

Refractoriness was observed in 126 (41.7%) patients, while 154 (51.0%) achieved clinical benefit. Due to a significant association between the treatment line and refractory rate, the subsequent analysis focused on the first-line cohort (n = 214; 72 [33.6%] patients showed refractoriness). Among 13 potential predictors, the CRP and AFP in immunotherapy (CRAFITY) score had the best predictive performance, with refractory rates of 24.6%, 44.6%, and 57.9% in CRAFITY-0, 1, and 2 patients, respectively (p < 0.001). OS and PFS were also well-stratified by this scoring system.

CONCLUSIONS

Approximately one-third of patients were refractory to first-line Atezo/Bev therapy. The CRAFITY score demonstrated superior performance in predicting refractoriness.

Personalized treatment using predictive biomarkers in solid organ malignancies: A review

In recent years, the influence of specific biomarkers in the diagnosis and prognosis of solid organ malignancies has been increasingly prominent. The relevance of the use of predictive biomarkers, which predict cancer response to specific forms of treatment provided, is playing a more significant role than ever before, as it affects diagnosis and initiation of treatment, monitoring for efficacy and side effects of treatment, and adjustment in treatment regimen in the long term. In the current review, we explored the use of predictive biomarkers in the treatment of solid organ malignancies, including common cancers such as colorectal cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and cancers associated with high mortalities, such as pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, kidney cancer and cancers of the central nervous system. We additionally analyzed the goals and types of personalized treatment using predictive biomarkers, and the management of various types of solid organ malignancies using predictive biomarkers and their relative efficacies so far in the clinical settings.

Association between tumor morphology and efficacy of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM

The IMbrave150 trial revealed that atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (AtezoBv) showed a higher objective response rate (ORR) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although conversion therapy after AtezoBv has been recently reported, markers predictive of its efficacy, particularly radiological imaging markers, have not yet been identified. The present study focused on tumor morphological appearance on radiological imaging and evaluated whether it could be associated with AtezoBv efficacy.

METHODS

Ninety-five intrahepatic lesions in 74 patients who were given AtezoBv for advanced HCC were recruited for evaluation. The lesions were divided into two groups, simple nodular (SN group) and non-simple nodular (non-SN group), based on the gross morphology on pretreatment imaging, and retrospectively evaluated for treatment response and other relevant clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

Assessing the size of individual tumors after treatment, waterfall plots showed that tumor shrinkage in the non-SN group including 56 lesions was higher than that in the SN group comprising 39 lesions. The ORR was significantly higher in the non-SN group (39.3% vs. 15.4%, p = 0.012). Additionally, the median time to nodular progression was longer in the non-SN group (21.0 months vs. 8.1 months, p = 0.119) compared to the SN group. Six patients with non-SN lesions underwent sequential local therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab may show increased therapeutic efficacy in patients with tumors with a higher potential for aggressive oncological behavior, such as non-SN lesions. Treatment strategies focusing on conversion therapy may be crucial in patients with non-SN lesions.

A Machine Learning Algorithm Facilitates Prognosis Prediction and Treatment Selection for Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Stage C Hepatocellular Carcinoma

PURPOSE

Given its heterogeneity and diverse clinical outcomes, precise subclassification of Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage C (BCLC-C) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is required for appropriately determining patient prognosis and selecting treatment.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

We recruited 2,626 patients with BCLC-C HCC from multiple centers, comprising training/test (n = 1,693) and validation cohorts (n = 933). The XGBoost model was chosen for maximum performance among the machine learning (ML) models. Patients were categorized into low-, intermediate-, high-, and very high-risk subgroups based on the estimated prognosis, and this subclassification was named the CLAssification via Machine learning of BCLC-C (CLAM-C).

RESULTS

The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the CLAM-C for predicting the 6-, 12-, and 24-month survival of patients with BCLC-C were 0.800, 0.831, and 0.715, respectively-significantly higher than those of the conventional models, which were consistent in the validation cohort. The four subgroups had significantly different median overall survivals, and this difference was maintained among various patient subgroups and treatment modalities. Immune-checkpoint inhibitors and transarterial therapies were associated with significantly better survival than tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) in the low- and intermediate-risk subgroups. In cases with first-line systemic therapy, the CLAM-C identified atezolizumab-bevacizumab as the best therapy, particularly in the high-risk group. In cases with later-line systemic therapy, nivolumab had better survival than TKIs in the low-to-intermediate-risk subgroup, whereas TKIs had better survival in the high- to very high-risk subgroup.

CONCLUSIONS

ML modeling effectively subclassified patients with BCLC-C HCC, potentially aiding treatment allocation. Our study underscores the potential utilization of ML modeling in terms of prognostication and treatment allocation in patients with BCLC-C HCC.

Exploring potential predictive biomarkers through historical perspectives on the evolution of systemic therapies into the emergence of neoadjuvant therapy for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a type of liver cancer, ranks as the sixth most prevalent cancer globally and represents the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Approximately half of HCC patients miss the opportunity for curative treatment and are then limited to undergoing systemic therapies. Currently, systemic therapy has entered the era of immunotherapy, particularly with the advent of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), which have significantly enhanced outcomes for patients with advanced HCC. Neoadjuvant treatment for HCC has become a possibility-findings from the IMbrave 050 trial indicated that ICIs offer the benefit of recurrence-free survival for high-risk HCC patients post-resection or local ablation. However, only a small fraction of individuals benefit from systemic therapy. Consequently, there is an urgent need to identify predictive biomarkers for treatment response and outcome assessment. This study reviewed the historical progression of systemic therapy for HCC, highlighting notable therapeutic advancements. This study examined the development of systemic therapies involving conventional drugs and clinical trials utilized in HCC treatment, as well as potential predictive biomarkers for advanced and/or locally advanced HCC. Various studies have revealed potential biomarkers in the context of HCC treatment. These include the association of dendritic cells (DCs) with a favorable response to neoadjuvant therapy, the presence of enriched T effector cells and tertiary lymphoid structures, the identification of CD138+ plasma cells, and distinct spatial arrangements of B cells in close proximity to T cells among responders with locally advanced HCC receiving neoadjuvant cabozantinib and nivolumab treatment. Furthermore, pathological response has been associated with intratumoral cellular triads consisting of progenitor CD8+ T cells and CXCL13+ CD4+ T helper cells surrounding mature DCs in patients receiving neoadjuvant cemiplimab for resectable HCC. Despite no widely recognized predictive biomarkers for HCC individualized treatment, we believe neoadjuvant trials hold the most promise in identifying and validating them. This is because they can collect multiple samples from resectable HCC patients across stages, especially with multi-omics, bridging preclinical and clinical gaps.

Peripheral T Cell Subpopulations as a Potential Surrogate Biomarker during Atezolizumab plus Bevacizumab Treatment for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

The therapeutic benefits of the immunotherapeutic combination of atezolizumab and bevacizumab (Atez/Bev) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) vary. Therapeutic biomarkers might help improve outcomes for HCC patients receiving Atez/Bev therapy. The role of systemic immune profiles in HCC progression also remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the status and dynamics of peripheral T cell subpopulations in HCC patients receiving Atez/Bev treatment and to explore biomarkers predictive of a therapeutic response. We enrolled 83 unresectable advanced HCC patients who commenced Atez/Bev treatment at our hospital between October 2020 and June 2022. Peripheral T cell subpopulations in peripheral blood mononuclear cells at baseline and 3 weeks post-treatment were investigated using flow cytometry and compared with those in control samples from 18 healthy individuals. We retrospectively analyzed the association between peripheral T cell subpopulation profiles and clinical outcomes. Baseline peripheral T cell subpopulations could be profiled in 70 patients with sufficient cell counts, among whom 3-week subpopulations could be evaluated in 51 patients. Multivariate analysis showed that a high baseline proportion of CD8+ central memory T (TCM) cells was independently associated with longer progression-free survival (PFS). Further, overall survival (OS) was significantly prolonged in patients with increased CD8+ effector memory T (TEM) cell proportions. In conclusion, TCM proportion at baseline might be a good indicator of the efficacy of Atez/Bev therapy. Furthermore, observation of increasing TEM proportions might be an early predictor of the potential clinical benefits of treatment.

Systemic therapies in hepatocellular carcinoma: A revolution?

The evolution in systemic therapies in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) signifies a strategy of high-cost, high-gain innovation that originated with sorafenib, despite its limited impact on tumor response. This strategic approach paved the way for the emergence of a second wave of the short-lived competitive advantage, exemplified by the incorporation of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab and tremelimumab plus durvalumab. In the context of safety concerns within the liver cancer domain, the IMBRAVE150 and HIMALAYA trials boldly incorporated bevacizumab and tremelimumab, respectively, demonstrating the continuation of the high-risk, high-reward innovation paradigm. This review delves into the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis of systemic therapies in the field of HCC.

Clinical factors associated with the therapeutic efficacy of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A multicenter prospective observational study

The treatment efficiency and predictors of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab therapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma in real-world practice have not been established. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab and to investigate predictors of progression-free survival and overall survival. Patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab therapy in 19 hospitals were enrolled before treatment and observed prospectively. The outcomes of 222 patients in this cohort were analyzed. The objective response rate and disease control rate were 22.0% and 70.6%, respectively, whereas the median progression-free survival was 5.7 months. Independent risk factors for shortened progression-free survival were younger age (<75 years; 3.9 months vs. 8.6 months), higher number of intrahepatic tumors (≥5; 4.0 months vs. 7.9 months), macrovascular invasion (2.3 months vs. 6.7 months), and higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (≥3.03; 3.0 months vs. 7.8 months). The median overall survival was not reached; however, independent risk factors for shortened overall survival were absence of hyperlipidemia, higher number of intrahepatic tumors (≥5), macrovascular invasion, higher α-fetoprotein level (≥400 ng/mL), worse Child-Pugh score (≥6), and higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (≥3.03). Severe adverse events (grade ≥3) were observed in 96 patients (36.0%), with proteinuria being the most frequent. In conclusion, patients with older age, lower number of intrahepatic tumors, absent macrovascular invasion, and lower neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio are expected to have better progression-free survival with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab therapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Predictive Biomarkers of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Based Mono- and Combination Therapies for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the most frequent and deadly human cancers worldwide. It has been shown that interaction between immune checkpoint receptors and ligands plays a crucial role in inhibition of T cell-mediated anti-tumor immune responses, thereby assisting tumor cells to evade the host immune surveillance. Therefore, several immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) that selectively block immune checkpoint receptors or ligands have been developed as clinically effective and safe immunotherapeutic agents for treating HCC, including the inhibitors targeting cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4, programmed death 1, and programmed death ligand 1. In addition, various combinations of ICIs and other ICIs or tyrosine kinase inhibitors or vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors have also emerged as clinically beneficial treatments for HCC. However, the overall response rates of ICI mono-therapy and combination therapy in HCC patients remain unsatisfied, highlighting the urgent need for discovering valuable predictive biomarkers to achieve personalized therapy. This review comprehensively summarizes the literature-based evidence validating a variety of biomarkers with predictive significance for treatment responses and outcomes in HCC patients receiving various ICI-based mono- and combination therapies.

Protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist II: Experience to date and future directions

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer with high mortality. The realization of precision medicine in HCC relies upon efficient biomarkers. Protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist II (PIVKA-II) is an immature prothrombin with insufficient coagulation activity, overexpressing in HCC cells. Previous evidence confirmed the role of PIVKA-II in screening and diagnosing HCC. However, the increased PIVKA-II was observed not only in HCC, but also in non-HCC individuals such as vitamin K deficiency. The joint detection of PIVKA-II and other biomarkers could significantly improve diagnostic accuracy in HCC. Furthermore, PIVKA-II serves as a valuable prognostic predictor, transplantation eligibility, resectability, tumor recurrence, therapeutic efficacy, and malignant tumor behaviors. Additionally, PIVKA-II represents a potential target for agent development to establish new therapeutic strategies. Besides HCC, PIVKA-II also serves as a biomarker of vitamin K status. In this review, we assess the role of PIVKA-II in diagnosis, prediction, and treatment. Over the past decades, substantial progress has been achieved in the application of PIVKA-II. Exploration and innovation are required for further advances in the field of PIVKA-II investigation.

Adverse events of immune checkpoint inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma: a systemic review and meta-analysis

The introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has reshaped the therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). ICIs are a novel therapy with frequent adverse events (AEs), including treatment-related adverse events (trAEs) and immune-related adverse events (irAEs). However, no comprehensive overview of the toxicity spectrum of ICIs in HCC patients has been provided. Electronic databases were searched to identify eligible studies. A meta-analysis of the incidence rate of AEs in HCC patients treated with ICIs was performed. Lastly, the prognostic value of irAEs in HCC patients treated with ICIs was verified. Forty-seven studies with 6472 participations met the inclusion criteria. The pooled all-grade trAEs incidence rate was 83.4% (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 77.0-89.1%), ≥ grade 3 trAEs incidence rate was 33.0% (95% CI 26.9-39.5%), all-grade irAEs incidence rate was 34% (95% CI 22-47%), and ≥ grade 3 irAEs incidence rate was 9% (95% CI 5-14%). Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) increase (38%, 95% CI 35-40%) is the most common trAEs. Fatigue (14%, 95% CI 7-23%) is the most common irAEs. The pooled results also showed that 18.8% (95% CI 13.2-25.2%) of patients required systemic steroid therapy due to AEs, while 6.6% (95% CI 4.6-9.0%) of patients withdrew from treatment due to AEs. Additionally, patients experiencing irAEs may have a better progression-free survival (PFS) (multivariate analysis: hazard ratio [HR] = 0.41, 95% CI 0.27-0.61, I2 = 36.3%) but not overall survival (OS) (multivariate analysis: HR = 0.54, 95% CI 0.22-1.36, I2 = 83.2%) than those with no irAEs. Our study presents a systemic assessment of the AEs profile in HCC patients receiving ICIs, providing important reference for clinicians on toxicity profile. Besides, patients with irAEs may have a better PFS. More large-scale and prospective studies are needed to confirm our conclusions.

The efficacy and safety of different systemic combination therapies on advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and aims

Systemic combinations have recently brought significant therapeutic benefits for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC). To design the most effective combination regimens, a systematic review (PROSPERO ID: CRD42022321949) was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of systemic combinations on aHCC.

Methods

We retrieved all the studies from PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) using the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms until December 21, 2022. The effect indicators (hazard ratio [HR], relative risk [RR], and median) were pooled by a fixed- or random-effects model. A subgroup analysis was conducted according to types and specific therapies.

Results

In total, 88 eligible studies were selected from 7249 potential records. Each kind of combination treatment (chemotherapy plus chemotherapy, targeted plus immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy, targeted plus chemotherapy, and targeted plus targeted therapy) had a better objective response rate (ORR) in patients with aHCC, compared to the monotherapy mostly with sorafenib (RR: 1.57 [1.44-1.71]; I 2 = 30%). Of those, targeted plus ICI therapy showed better therapeutic efficiency in overall survival (median: 15.02 [12.67-17.38]), progression-free survival (median: 7.08 [6.42-7.74]), and ORR (RR: 1.81 [1.55-2.13]), compared to the monotherapy. Specifically, Atezo plus Beva showed all those benefits. Our pooled result showed all the combinations had increased ≥3 Grade treatment-related adverse events (TrAEs), with an RR of 1.25 [95% CI: 1.15-1.36], compared to the monotherapy.

Conclusion

The systemic combinations, especially targeted plus ICI therapy, including Atezo plus Beva, significantly improve clinical outcomes but increase side effects in patients with aHCC. Future trials should concentrate on improvement in therapeutic efficiency and reduction of toxicity of targeted plus ICI therapy.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero, identifier CRD42022321949.

Effectiveness and safety of atezolizumab-bevacizumab in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Atezolizumab-bevacizumab (atezo-bev) is recommended as first-line therapy for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). However, its effectiveness and safety in other populations, including those with Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) class B cirrhosis, is unclear.

Methods

For this systematic review and meta-analysis, electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, and Scopus, were searched from 1st May, 2020 till 5th October, 2022; the last date of access was January 31, 2023. Pooled progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and radiological response rate among patients receiving atezo-bev were compared between patients with CTP-A and CTP-B cirrhosis, with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and among those receiving the drug as first-line and later line therapy. The protocol was registered in Prospero (CRD42022364430).

Findings

Among 47 studies (n = 5400 patients), pooled PFS and OS were 6.86 (95% CI, 6.31-7.41) and 13.8 months (95% CI, 11.81-15.8), respectively. Objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate were 26.7% (24.6-29.1) and 75.3% (73.1-77.4) using RECIST criteria, and 34% (30.3-37.8) and 73.6% (68.8-78) using mRECIST criteria, respectively. Among those receiving atezo-bev, patients with CTP-B cirrhosis had similar ORRs by RECIST (odds ratio [OR], 1.42 [0.77-2.6]; P = 0.25) and mRECIST criteria (OR, 1.33 [0.52-3.39]; P = 0.53) but shorter PFS (mean difference [MD]:3.83 months [1.81-5.84]) than those with CTP-A cirrhosis. Compared to patients receiving TKIs, those receiving atezo-bev had longer PFS (MD: 2.27 months [0.94-3.5]) and higher ORR (RECIST: OR, 1.44 [1.01-2.04] and mRECIST: OR, 1.33 [1.01-1.75]). Compared to first-line therapy, later-line therapy had lower ORR (RECIST: OR, 1.82 [1.3-2.53]; P < 0.001 and mRECIST: OR, 2.02 [1.34-3.05]) but comparable PFS (MD: 0.58 months [-0.18 to 1.35]) among nine studies. The incidence of grade ≥3 adverse events among patients with CTP-A and CTP-B cirrhosis was comparable (OR, 0.89 [0.45-1.74]) as it was for patients receiving atezo-bev and TKIs (OR, 0.86 [0.61-1.2]).

Interpretation

Our findings suggest that atezo-bev is safe and effective as first-line systemic therapy for patients with uHCC and CTP-A or CTP-B cirrhosis.

Funding

An unsolicited grant from ROCHE Products India Pvt Ltd. was received for publication.

Durable Stable Disease by Atezolizumab/Bevacizumab Can Provide Long-term Survival of Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Lung Metastases

BACKGROUND

Multiple bilateral lung metastases secondary to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are mainly treated with molecular therapy. Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab can provide excellent long-term survival for patients with a good response.

CASE REPORT

A 67-year-old woman underwent right hepatectomy for a primary solitary HCC, 11 cm in diameter, after portal embolization. After 2 years, she developed bilateral lung metastases with >100 nodules, <1 cm in size. She had no viral hepatitis or liver cirrhosis, and the Child-Pugh Grade was A (5 points). Lenvatinib (12 mg daily) was administered as a first-line treatment and continued for 18 months. The best response was stable disease (SD). Subsequently, intravenous atezolizumab (1,200 mg) plus bevacizumab (15 mg/kg) was administered once every three weeks. The best response was SD, which continued for 26 months. After that, cabozantinib treatment was initiated and discontinued after one cycle. Subsequently, dual immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment (durvalumab + tremelimumab) was administered. She has had multiple, but lung-only, metastases over four years. She has been well as an outpatient with the Child-Pugh Grade of A and a performance status of 0.

CONCLUSION

Even if atezolizumab plus bevacizumab does not induce a good response, a durable SD could prolong survival in patients with metastatic HCC while maintaining liver function and a good quality-of-life.

Trajectories of α-fetoprotein and unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma outcomes receiving atezolizumab plus bevacizumab: a secondary analysis of IMbrave150 study

BACKGROUND

α-fetoprotein (AFP) response has been demonstrated as a biomarker for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) patients receiving immunotherapy, but its definition is still unclear. This exploratory study investigated the AFP trajectory and clinical outcomes of receiving atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atez/Bev) therapy.

METHODS

This secondary analysis used the Atez/Bev arm data of phase III IMbrave150 study to distinguish potential AFP changing rate trajectories through latent class trajectory models. The multivariable Cox models were applied to calculate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

Three distinct trajectories were identified among the uHCC patients with 7 times (range, 3 to 28) of AFP measurements: low-stable (50.0%, n = 132), sharp-falling (13.3%, n = 35), and high-rising (36.7%, n = 97). Compared with the high-rising class, HRs of disease progression were 0.52 (95% CI: 0.39, 0.70) and 0.26 (95% CI: 0.16, 0.43) for the low-stable class and sharp-falling class, respectively. In contrast, HRs of death were 0.59 (95% CI: 0.40, 0.81) and 0.30 (95% CI: 0.16, 0.57) for the two groups after propensity score adjustment. Besides, AFP trajectories had the highest relative importance of each covariate to survival.

DISCUSSION

There are three distinct AFP trajectories in uHCC patients receiving Atez/Bev, and it is an independent biomarker for clinical outcomes.

Mutational Landscape and Precision Medicine in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth most common malignancy worldwide and exhibits a universal burden as the incidence of the disease continues to rise. In addition to curative-intent therapies such as liver resection and transplantation, locoregional and systemic therapy options also exist. However, existing treatments carry a dismal prognosis, often plagued with high recurrence and mortality. For this reason, understanding the tumor microenvironment and mutational pathophysiology has become the center of investigation for disease control. The use of precision medicine and genetic analysis can supplement current treatment modalities to promote individualized management of HCC. In the search for personalized medicine, tools such as next-generation sequencing have been used to identify unique tumor mutations and improve targeted therapies. Furthermore, investigations are underway for specific HCC biomarkers to augment the diagnosis of malignancy, the prediction of whether the tumor environment is amenable to available therapies, the surveillance of treatment response, the monitoring for disease recurrence, and even the identification of novel therapeutic opportunities. Understanding the mutational landscape and biomarkers of the disease is imperative for tailored management of the malignancy. In this review, we summarize the molecular targets of HCC and discuss the current role of precision medicine in the treatment of HCC.

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.

Efficacy and safety of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in the real world: a single-arm meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab was approved in 2020 as a first-line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The purpose of this study was to assess the curative effect and tolerability of the combination treatment in advanced HCC.

METHODS

Web of Science, PubMed and Embase were retrieved for qualified literatures on the treatment of advanced HCC with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab until September 1, 2022. The outcomes included pooled overall response (OR), complete response (CR), partial response (PR), median overall survival (mOS), median progression-free survival (mPFS), and adverse events (AEs).

RESULTS

Twenty-three studies, comprising 3168 patients, were enrolled. The pooled OR, CR, and PR rates of the long-term (more than six weeks) therapy response based on Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) were 26%, 2%, and 23%, respectively. The pooled OR, CR, and PR rates of the short-term (six weeks) therapeutic response evaluated with RECIST were 13%, 0%, and 15%, respectively. The pooled mOS and mPFS were 14.7 months and 6.66 months, respectively. During the treatment, 83% and 30% of patients experienced any grade AEs and grade 3 and above AEs, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Atezolizumab in combination with bevacizumab showed good efficacy and tolerability in the treatment of advanced HCC. Compared with short-term, non-first-line, and low-dose therapy, atezolizumab plus bevacizumab in long-term, first-line, and standard-dose treatment for advanced HCC showed a better tumor response rate.

Molecular and immune landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma to guide therapeutic decision-making

Liver cancer, primarily HCC, exhibits highly heterogeneous histological and molecular aberrations across tumors and within individual tumor nodules. Such intertumor and intratumor heterogeneities may lead to diversity in the natural history of disease progression and various clinical disparities across the patients. Recently developed multimodality, single-cell, and spatial omics profiling technologies have enabled interrogation of the intertumor/intratumor heterogeneity in the cancer cells and the tumor immune microenvironment. These features may influence the natural history and efficacy of emerging therapies targeting novel molecular and immune pathways, some of which had been deemed undruggable. Thus, comprehensive characterization of the heterogeneities at various levels may facilitate the discovery of biomarkers that enable personalized and rational treatment decisions, and optimize treatment efficacy while minimizing the risk of adverse effects. Such companion biomarkers will also refine HCC treatment algorithms across disease stages for cost-effective patient management by optimizing the allocation of limited medical resources. Despite this promise, the complexity of the intertumor/intratumor heterogeneity and ever-expanding inventory of therapeutic agents and regimens have made clinical evaluation and translation of biomarkers increasingly challenging. To address this issue, novel clinical trial designs have been proposed and incorporated into recent studies. In this review, we discuss the latest findings in the molecular and immune landscape of HCC for their potential and utility as biomarkers, the framework of evaluation and clinical application of predictive/prognostic biomarkers, and ongoing biomarker-guided therapeutic clinical trials. These new developments may revolutionize patient care and substantially impact the still dismal HCC mortality.

Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: Results from a German real-world cohort

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Phase III trials have established atezolizumab plus bevacizumab as the novel standard of care for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, these trials raised concerns regarding treatment efficacy in non-viral HCC, and it remains unclear whether combination immunotherapy is safe and effective in patients with advanced cirrhosis.

METHODS

One hundred patients with unresectable HCC initiated therapy with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab at our centre between January 2020 and March 2022. The control cohort consisted of 80 patients with advanced HCC who received either sorafenib (n = 43) or lenvatinib (n = 37) as systemic treatment.

RESULTS

Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were significantly longer within the atezolizumab/bevacizumab group and comparable to phase III data. The benefits in terms of increased objective response rate (ORR), OS and PFS were consistent across subgroups, including non-viral HCC (58%). The ROC-optimised neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) cut-off of 3.20 was the strongest independent predictor of ORR and PFS. In patients with advanced cirrhosis Child-Pugh B, liver function was significantly better preserved with immunotherapy. Patients with Child-Pugh B cirrhosis showed similar ORR but shorter OS and PFS compared to patients with preserved liver function.

CONCLUSIONS

Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab showed good efficacy and safety in patients with unresectable HCC and partially advanced liver cirrhosis in a real-world setting. Moreover, the NLR was able to predict response to atezolizumab/bevacizumab treatment and may guide patient selection.

Predictive Biomarkers for Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitor Treatment Response in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has one of the highest mortality rates among solid cancers. Late diagnosis and a lack of efficacious treatment options contribute to the dismal prognosis of HCC. Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based immunotherapy has presented a new milestone in the treatment of cancer. Immunotherapy has yielded remarkable treatment responses in a range of cancer types including HCC. Based on the therapeutic effect of ICI alone (programmed cell death (PD)-1/programmed death-ligand1 (PD-L)1 antibody), investigators have developed combined ICI therapies including ICI + ICI, ICI + tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), and ICI + locoregional treatment or novel immunotherapy. Although these regimens have demonstrated increasing treatment efficacy with the addition of novel drugs, the development of biomarkers to predict toxicity and treatment response in patients receiving ICI is in urgent need. PD-L1 expression in tumor cells received the most attention in early studies among various predictive biomarkers. However, PD-L1 expression alone has limited utility as a predictive biomarker in HCC. Accordingly, subsequent studies have evaluated the utility of tumor mutational burden (TMB), gene signatures, and multiplex immunohistochemistry (IHC) as predictive biomarkers. In this review, we aim to discuss the current state of immunotherapy for HCC, the results of the predictive biomarker studies, and future direction.