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Ma YN, Jiang X, Song P, Tang W. Neoadjuvant therapies in resectable hepatocellular carcinoma: Exploring strategies to improve prognosis. Biosci Trends 2024; 18:21-41. [PMID: 38382930 DOI: 10.5582/bst.2023.01436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a challenging malignancy, often necessitates surgical intervention, notably liver resection. However, the high recurrence rate, reaching 70% within 5 years post-resection, significantly impacts patient outcomes. Neoadjuvant therapies aim to preoperatively address this challenge, reducing lesion size, improving surgical resection rates, deactivating potential micro-metastases, and ultimately lowering postoperative recurrence rates. This review concentrates on advances in research on and clinical use of neoadjuvant therapies for HCC, with particular attention to the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting programmed cell death-1 (PD-1), programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein-4 (CTLA-4). Ongoing clinical studies exploring immunotherapy combined with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), interventional therapy, radiotherapy, and other modalities offer promising insights into overcoming resistance to monotherapies. In summary, neoadjuvant therapies hold significant promise in terms of improving the prognosis for patients with HCC and enhancing long-term survival, particularly through innovative combination strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Nan Ma
- National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
| | - Xuemei Jiang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
| | - Peipei Song
- National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Wei Tang
- National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Haikou Affiliated Hospital of Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine, Haikou, China
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2
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Qin R, Jin T, Xu F. Biomarkers predicting the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1326097. [PMID: 38187399 PMCID: PMC10770866 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1326097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have emerged as a transformative approach in treating advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Despite their success, challenges persist, including concerns about their effectiveness, treatment costs, frequent occurrence of treatment-related adverse events, and tumor hyperprogression. Therefore, it is imperative to identify indicators capable of predicting the efficacy of ICIs treatment, enabling optimal patient selection to maximize clinical benefits while minimizing unnecessary toxic side effects and economic losses. This review paper categorizes prognostic biomarkers of ICIs treatment into the following categories: biochemical and cytological indicators, tumor-related markers, imaging and personal features, etiology, gut microbiome, and immune-related adverse events (irAEs). By organizing these indicators systematically, we aim to guide biomarker exploration and inform clinical treatment decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tianqiang Jin
- Department of General Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Feng Xu
- Department of General Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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3
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Suzuki T, Matsuura K, Suzuki Y, Okumura F, Nagura Y, Sobue S, Matoya S, Miyaki T, Kimura Y, Kusakabe A, Narahara S, Tokunaga T, Nagaoka K, Kuroyanagi K, Kawamura H, Kuno K, Fujiwara K, Nojiri S, Kataoka H, Tanaka Y. Serum CXCL10 levels at the start of the second course of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab therapy predict therapeutic efficacy in patients with advanced BCLC stage C hepatocellular carcinoma: A multicenter analysis. Cancer Med 2023; 13:e6876. [PMID: 38133557 PMCID: PMC10807580 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.6876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Relationships of serum C-C motif chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10) levels with hot immune features have been reported in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, we examined the utility of their levels for predicting the efficacy of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atez/Bev) in patients with HCC. DESIGN In total, 98 patients with HCC treated with Atez/Bev were enrolled, and their initial responses were evaluated at least once via dynamic computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Serum CCL5 and CXCL10 levels were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay before treatment and at the start of the second course of Atez/Bev therapy, and their relationships with treatment efficacy were determined. RESULTS No analyzed factor was associated with the initial therapeutic response. Among the 56 patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage C, serum CXCL10 levels at the beginning of course two (CXCL10-2c) tended to be higher in responders than in non-responders in the initial evaluation, and its optimal cutoff level of 690 pg/mL could be used to stratify patients regarding overall survival (OS; high vs. low: not reached vs. 17.6 months, p = 0.034) and progression-free survival (high vs. low: 13.6 vs. 5.1 months, p = 0.014). In multivariate analysis, high CXCL10 levels and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios at the start of course two and Child-Pugh stage A at baseline were independent predictive factors of improved OS. CONCLUSIONS Serum CXCL10-2c levels were predictive of Atez/Bev efficacy in patients with BCLC stage C HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takanori Suzuki
- Department of Gastroenterology and MetabolismNagoya City University Graduate School of Medical SciencesNagoyaJapan
| | - Kentaro Matsuura
- Department of Gastroenterology and MetabolismNagoya City University Graduate School of Medical SciencesNagoyaJapan
| | - Yuta Suzuki
- Department of GastroenterologyGifu Prefectural Tajimi HospitalGifuJapan
| | - Fumihiro Okumura
- Department of GastroenterologyGifu Prefectural Tajimi HospitalGifuJapan
| | - Yoshihito Nagura
- Department of GastroenterologyKasugai Municipal HospitalKasugaiJapan
| | - Satoshi Sobue
- Department of GastroenterologyKasugai Municipal HospitalKasugaiJapan
| | - Sho Matoya
- Department of GastroenterologyToyokawa City HospitalToyokawaJapan
| | - Tomokatsu Miyaki
- Department of GastroenterologyToyokawa City HospitalToyokawaJapan
| | - Yoshihide Kimura
- Department of GastroenterologyNagoya City University West Medical CenterNagoyaJapan
| | - Atsunori Kusakabe
- Department of GastroenterologyJapanese Red Cross Aichi Medical Center Nagoya Daini HospitalNagoyaJapan
| | - Satoshi Narahara
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Life SciencesKumamoto UniversityKumamotoJapan
| | - Takayuki Tokunaga
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Life SciencesKumamoto UniversityKumamotoJapan
| | - Katsuya Nagaoka
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Life SciencesKumamoto UniversityKumamotoJapan
| | - Keita Kuroyanagi
- Department of Gastroenterology and MetabolismNagoya City University Graduate School of Medical SciencesNagoyaJapan
| | - Hayato Kawamura
- Department of Gastroenterology and MetabolismNagoya City University Graduate School of Medical SciencesNagoyaJapan
| | - Kayoko Kuno
- Department of Gastroenterology and MetabolismNagoya City University Graduate School of Medical SciencesNagoyaJapan
| | - Kei Fujiwara
- Department of Gastroenterology and MetabolismNagoya City University Graduate School of Medical SciencesNagoyaJapan
| | - Shunsuke Nojiri
- Department of Gastroenterology and MetabolismNagoya City University Graduate School of Medical SciencesNagoyaJapan
| | - Hiromi Kataoka
- Department of Gastroenterology and MetabolismNagoya City University Graduate School of Medical SciencesNagoyaJapan
| | - Yasuhito Tanaka
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Life SciencesKumamoto UniversityKumamotoJapan
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4
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Han JW, Jang JW. Predicting Outcomes of Atezolizumab and Bevacizumab Treatment in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11799. [PMID: 37511558 PMCID: PMC10380709 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Won Han
- The Catholic University Liver Research Center, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Won Jang
- The Catholic University Liver Research Center, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
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Kohya R, Suda G, Ohara M, Sasaki T, Yoda T, Sakurai N, Yoshida S, Fu Q, Yang Z, Hosoda S, Maehara O, Ohnishi S, Tokuchi Y, Kitagataya T, Suzuki K, Kawagishi N, Nakai M, Sho T, Natsuizaka M, Ogawa K, Sakamoto N. Potential Correlation between Changes in Serum FGF21 Levels and Lenvatinib-Induced Appetite Loss in Patients with Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3257. [PMID: 37370867 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15123257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Lenvatinib, used for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), causes appetite loss, but the underlying mechanisms, clinical impact, and predictive factors have been unclear. The endocrine factor FGF21 modulates appetite and is involved in cachexia. We evaluated the association between FGF21 level changes during lenvatinib treatment for unresectable HCC and appetite loss. Sixty-three eligible unresectable HCC patients who started lenvatinib treatment between 2018 and 2021 were included. We analyzed FGF21 levels at baseline; 1, 2, and 4 weeks after lenvatinib initiation, and before the onset of appetite loss. Grade ≥ 2 lenvatinib-induced appetite loss led to liver functional reserve deterioration at disease progression and a poor prognosis. Baseline characteristics and serum FGF21 levels were similar between patients with and without appetite loss. However, the serum FGF21 change rate increased significantly at 4 weeks post-lenvatinib initiation in patients with grade ≥ 2 appetite loss, as compared to those without appetite loss. Similar significant increases in the serum FGF21 level change rate were observed prior to grade ≥ 2 appetite loss onset. This suggests that changes in FGF21 levels can be used to predict patients with a greater risk of marked appetite loss and provides insights into the mechanisms underlying lenvatinib-induced appetite loss in patients with HCC.
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Grants
- 23fk0210126h0001, 23fk0310501h0002, 23fk0210121h0001, 23fk0210112h0002, 23fk0210111h0002, 23fk0310524h0002, 23fk0210083h0003, 23fk0210113h0002, 23fk0210104h0002, 23fk0210103h0002, 23fk0310518h0002, 23fk0210123h0001 Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development
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Affiliation(s)
- Risako Kohya
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
| | - Goki Suda
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
| | - Masatsugu Ohara
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
| | - Takashi Sasaki
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
| | - Tomoka Yoda
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
| | - Naofumi Sakurai
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
| | - Sonoe Yoshida
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
| | - Qingjie Fu
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
| | - Zijian Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
| | - Shunichi Hosoda
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
| | - Osamu Maehara
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Ohnishi
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
| | - Yoshimasa Tokuchi
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
| | - Takashi Kitagataya
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
| | - Kazuharu Suzuki
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
| | - Naoki Kawagishi
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
| | - Masato Nakai
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
| | - Takuya Sho
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
| | - Mitsuteru Natsuizaka
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
| | - Koji Ogawa
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
| | - Naoya Sakamoto
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan
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Ji JH, Ha SY, Lee D, Sankar K, Koltsova EK, Abou-Alfa GK, Yang JD. Predictive Biomarkers for Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitor Treatment Response in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:7640. [PMID: 37108802 PMCID: PMC10144688 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Ho Ji
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon 51353, Republic of Korea
- Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Comprehensive Transplant Center, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Sang Yun Ha
- Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Comprehensive Transplant Center, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
- Department of Pathology and Translational Genomics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul 03181, Republic of Korea
| | - Danbi Lee
- Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Comprehensive Transplant Center, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
- Department of Gastroenterology, Liver Center, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Kamya Sankar
- Division of Medical Oncology, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Ekaterina K. Koltsova
- Department of Medicine, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Weil Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY 14853, USA
| | - Ju Dong Yang
- Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Comprehensive Transplant Center, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
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Changes in Serum Growth Factors during Resistance to Atezolizumab Plus Bevacizumab Treatment in Patients with Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15030593. [PMID: 36765554 PMCID: PMC9913372 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15030593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The possible mechanisms of resistance to atezolizumab/bevacizumab for unresectable HCC, and the subsequent response to these therapies, remain underexplored. The sequential changes in serum growth factors, including VEGF-A, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, ANG-2, FGF-19, HGF, and EGF during atezolizumab/bevacizumab for unresectable HCC were evaluated in 46 patients. Patients who experienced PD after CR, PR, or SD to atezolizumab/bevacizumab were evaluated. A total of 4, 9, 19, and 14 patients showed CR, PR, SD, and PD, respectively. Of 32 patients with disease control, 28 experienced PD after CR, PR, or SD with atezolizumab/bevacizumab. Baseline growth factor levels were similar between patients with or without disease control and those with or without an objective response. Growth factor changes between the baseline and the best overall response points (BOR) for patients with disease control showed that FGF-19 significantly increased and ANG2 significantly decreased at the BOR. Growth factor changes between the BOR and the PD point in 28 patients who experienced PD after disease control showed that VEGF-D and ANG2 significantly increased at the PD point compared with that at the BOR. Summarily, increased serum VEGF-D and ANG-2 levels might contribute to developing resistance to atezolizumab/bevacizumab for unresectable HCC and might be target molecules in subsequent salvage therapies.
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