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Chen CL, Dungca LBP, Yong CC, Chen ICY, Cheng YF, Cheng JY, Chen YY. Proton beam therapy for downstaging hepatocellular carcinoma with lobar portal vein tumor thrombosis to living donor liver transplantation. Hepatobiliary Surg Nutr 2023; 12:966-974. [PMID: 38115927 PMCID: PMC10727813 DOI: 10.21037/hbsn-23-410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Chao-Long Chen
- Liver Transplantation Center, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung
| | - Leona Bettina P. Dungca
- Liver Transplantation Center, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung
| | - Chee-Chien Yong
- Liver Transplantation Center, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung
| | - Itsuko Chih-Yi Chen
- Liver Transplantation Center, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung
| | - Yu-Fan Cheng
- Liver Transplantation Center, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung
| | - Jen-Yu Cheng
- Liver Transplantation Center, Department of Radiation Oncology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung
| | - Yen-Yang Chen
- Liver Transplantation Center, Department of Hematology-Oncology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung
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Chami P, Diab Y, Khalil DN, Azhari H, Jarnagin WR, Abou-Alfa GK, Harding JJ, Hajj J, Ma J, El Homsi M, Reyngold M, Crane C, Hajj C. Radiation and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Combination Therapy for Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16773. [PMID: 38069095 PMCID: PMC10706661 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The liver tumor immune microenvironment has been thought to possess a critical role in the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Despite the approval of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), such as programmed cell death receptor 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) inhibitors, for several types of cancers, including HCC, liver metastases have shown evidence of resistance or poor response to immunotherapies. Radiation therapy (RT) has displayed evidence of immunosuppressive effects through the upregulation of immune checkpoint molecules post-treatment. However, it was revealed that the limitations of ICIs can be overcome through the use of RT, as it can reshape the liver immune microenvironment. Moreover, ICIs are able to overcome the RT-induced inhibitory signals, effectively restoring anti-tumor activity. Owing to the synergetic effect believed to arise from the combination of ICIs with RT, several clinical trials are currently ongoing to assess the efficacy and safety of this treatment for patients with HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perla Chami
- Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107, Lebanon;
| | - Youssef Diab
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Balamand, Beirut 1100, Lebanon; (Y.D.)
| | - Danny N. Khalil
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Hassan Azhari
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - William R. Jarnagin
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Department of Surgery, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - James J. Harding
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Joseph Hajj
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Balamand, Beirut 1100, Lebanon; (Y.D.)
| | - Jennifer Ma
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Maria El Homsi
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Marsha Reyngold
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | | | - Carla Hajj
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10027, USA
- New York Proton Center, New York, NY 10035, USA
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Ruff SM, Pawlik TM. Editorial on immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Immunotherapy 2023; 15:1323-1326. [PMID: 37694380 DOI: 10.2217/imt-2023-0161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha M Ruff
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center & James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Timothy M Pawlik
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center & James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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Tamai Y, Fujiwara N, Tanaka T, Mizuno S, Nakagawa H. Combination Therapy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors with Locoregional Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5072. [PMID: 37894439 PMCID: PMC10605879 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15205072] [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: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is estimated to be the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally, and its overall prognosis is dismal because most cases are diagnosed at a late stage and are unamenable to curative treatment. The emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has dramatically improved the therapeutic efficacy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma; however, their response rates remain unsatisfactory, partly because >50% of HCC exhibit an ICI-nonresponsive tumor microenvironment characterized by a paucity of cytotoxic T cells (immune-cold), as well as difficulty in their infiltration into tumor sites (immune excluded). To overcome this limitation, combination therapies with locoregional therapies, including ablation, transarterial embolization, and radiotherapy, which are usually used for early stage HCCs, have been actively explored to enhance ICI efficacy by promoting the release of tumor-associated antigens and cytokines, and eventually accelerating the so-called cancer-immunity cycle. Various combination therapies have been investigated in early- to late-phase clinical trials, and some have shown promising results. This comprehensive article provides an overview of the immune landscape for HCC to understand ICI efficacy and its limitations and, subsequently, reviews the status of combinatorial therapies of ICIs with locoregional therapy for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuyuki Tamai
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Japan; (Y.T.); (T.T.); (H.N.)
| | - Naoto Fujiwara
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Japan; (Y.T.); (T.T.); (H.N.)
| | - Takamitsu Tanaka
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Japan; (Y.T.); (T.T.); (H.N.)
| | - Shugo Mizuno
- Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic and Transplant Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Japan;
| | - Hayato Nakagawa
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Japan; (Y.T.); (T.T.); (H.N.)
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Sara A, Ruff SM, Noonan AM, Pawlik TM. Real-World Use of Immunotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Pragmat Obs Res 2023; 14:63-74. [PMID: 37637511 PMCID: PMC10455985 DOI: 10.2147/por.s397972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide and accounts for 90% of all primary liver cancers. Chronic inflammation is the hallmark across most prevalent etiologies among which HBV is the leading cause worldwide (33%), followed by alcohol (30%), HCV (21%), other factors like non-alcoholic steatohepatitis linked to insulin resistance/metabolic syndrome, and obesity associated inflammation (16%). Deregulation of the tightly controlled immunological network leads to liver disease, including chronic infection, autoimmunity, and tumor development. While inflammation drives oncogenesis in the liver, HCC also recruits ICOS+ FOXP3+ Tregs and MDSCs and upregulates immune checkpoints to induce a state of immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment. As such, research is focused on targeting and modulating the immune system to treat HCC. The Checkmate 040 and Keynote 224 studies established the role of immunotherapy in the treatment of patients with HCC. In Phase I and II trials, nivolumab and pembrolizumab demonstrated durable response rates of 15-20% and were subsequently approved as second-line agents after sorafenib. Due to the success of the IMbrave 150 and HIMALAYA trials, which examined the combination of atezolizumab/bevacizumab and tremelimumab/durvalumab, respectively, the FDA approved these regimens as first-time treatment options for patients with advanced HCC. The encouraging results of immunotherapy in the management of HCC has led researchers to evaluate if combination with locoregional therapies may result in a synergistic effect. Real-world studies represent an invaluable tool to assess and verify the applicability of clinical trials in the bedside setting with a more varied patient population. We herein review current real-life use of ICIs in the management of HCC and highlight some of the ongoing clinical trials that are expected to change current recommended first-line treatment in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Sara
- Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Samantha M Ruff
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Anne M Noonan
- Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Timothy M Pawlik
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
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Zhang RJ, Zhou HM, Lu HY, Yu HP, Tang WZ, Qiu MQ, Yan LY, Long MY, Su TS, Xiang BD, He ML, Wang XT, Liang SX, Li JX. Radiotherapy plus anti-PD1 versus radiotherapy for hepatic toxicity in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Radiat Oncol 2023; 18:129. [PMID: 37542246 PMCID: PMC10403970 DOI: 10.1186/s13014-023-02309-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE In this study, we aimed to compare the radiation-induced hepatic toxicity (RIHT) outcomes of radiotherapy (RT) plus antibodies against programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD1) versus RT alone in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), evaluate prognostic factors of non-classic radiation-induced liver disease (ncRILD), and establish a nomogram for predicting the probability of ncRILD. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with unresectable HCC treated with RT and anti-PD1 (RT + PD1, n = 30) or RT alone (n = 66) were enrolled retrospectively. Patients (n = 30) in each group were placed in a matched cohort using propensity score matching (PSM). Treatment-related hepatotoxicity was evaluated and analyzed before and after PSM. The prognostic factors affecting ncRILD were identified by univariable logistic analysis and Spearman's rank test in the matched cohort to generate a nomogram. RESULTS There were no differences in RIHT except for increased aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≥ grade 1 and increased total bilirubin ≥ grade 1 between the two groups before PSM. After PSM, AST ≥ grade 1 occurred more frequently in the RT + PD1 group (p = 0.020), and there were no significant differences in other hepatotoxicity metrics between the two groups. In the matched cohort, V25, tumor number, age, and prothrombin time (PT) were the optimal prognostic factors for ncRILD modeling. A nomogram revealed a good predictive performance (area under the curve = 0.82). CONCLUSIONS The incidence of RIHT in patients with HCC treated with RT + PD1 was acceptable and similar to that of RT treatment. The nomogram based on V25, tumor number, age, and PT robustly predicted the probability of ncRILD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Jun Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Hong-Mei Zhou
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Hai-Yan Lu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Hong-Ping Yu
- Department of Research, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, 530021, China
- School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Wei-Zhong Tang
- Division of Colorectal & Anal Surgery, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Mo-Qin Qiu
- Department of Respiratory Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Liu-Ying Yan
- Department of General Affairs, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Mei-Ying Long
- School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Ting-Shi Su
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Bang-De Xiang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Mei-Ling He
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Xiao-Ting Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Shi-Xiong Liang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, 530021, China.
| | - Jian-Xu Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, 530021, China.
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