Hepatectomy versus transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for resectable BCLC stage A/B hepatocellular carcinoma beyond Milan criteria: A randomized clinical trial

Effect of neoadjuvant transarterial chemoembolization followed by resection versus upfront liver resection on the survival of single large hepatocellular carcinoma patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Backgrounds/Aims

The efficacy of neoadjuvant transarterial chemoembolization (N-TACE) in resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains open to debate. While N-TACE may reduce tumor size, its impact on long-term outcomes is inconclusive.

Methods

This meta-analysis reviewed studies on N-TACE before surgical resection vs. liver resection (LR) single large hepatocellular carcinoma (SLHCC) up to March 2023 from four online databases.

Results

Five studies with 1,556 patients were analyzed. No significant differences between N-TACE and LR groups were observed in 1-, 3-, or 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). No significant differences were noted in intraoperative blood loss between groups. Subgroup analysis showed favorable 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS with combination chemotherapy N-TACE (combination group), and better 1-year OS in the LR group with single-agent chemotherapy N-TACE (single-agent group). Five-year DFS favored LR in the single-agent group, and N-TACE in the combination group.

Conclusions

Managing SLHCC requires intricate considerations, and the treatment strategies for this challenging subgroup of HCC need to be improved. The influence of N-TACE on long-term survival depends on the specific chemotherapy regimen employed, and its impact on intraoperative blood loss in SLHCC appears limited.

Percutaneous microwave ablation and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for serum tumor markers and prognostics of middle-late primary hepatic carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC) has an insidious onset and is usually diagnosed in the middle and late stages. Although transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the preferred option for treating middle- and advanced-stage PHC, it has limited efficacy in killing tumor cells and poor long-term efficacy. TACE plus percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy (PMCT) is more effective than interventional therapy alone and can improve survival time. However, there are few reports on the effects of TACE and PMCT on serum marker levels and the prognosis of patients with advanced PHC.

AIM

To investigate the effect of PMCT + TACE on serum tumor markers and the prognosis of middle-late PHC.

METHODS

This retrospective study included 150 patients with middle-late PHC admitted to Zhongshan People's Hospital between March 2018 and February 2021. Patients were divided into a single group (treated with TACE, n = 75) and a combined group (treated with TACE + PMCT, n = 75). Before and after treatment, the clinical efficacy and serum tumor marker levels [carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)] of both groups were observed. The 1-year survival rates and prognostic factors of the two groups were analyzed.

RESULTS

The combined group had 21 and 35 cases of complete remission (CR) and partial remission (PR), respectively. The single group had 13 and 25 cases of CR and PR, respectively. After 4 wk of treatment, the serum CA19-9, CEA, and AFP levels in the single and combined groups decreased, with the decrease in the combined group being more significant (P < 0.05). The 1-year survival rate of the combined group (80.00%) was higher than that of the single group (60.00%) (P < 0.05). The average survival time within 1 year in the combined group was 299.38 ± 61.13 d, longer than that in the single group (214.41 ± 72.97 d, P < 0.05). COX analysis revealed that tumor diameter, tumor number, and the treatment method were prognostic factors for patients with middle-late PHC (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

TACE + PMCT is effective in treating patients with mid-late PHC. It reduces the levels of tumor markers, prolongs survival, and improves prognosis.

Adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma

Immune-oncology-based regimens have shown efficacy in advanced HCC and have been implemented as standard of care as first-line therapy. Their efficacy, including high response rates, and safety justify their evaluation in earlier disease stages. Following negative results for adjuvant sorafenib in the global STORM trial in 2015, 4 global phase 3 trials, featuring different immune checkpoint inhibitor combinations, entered in parallel the race in the adjuvant setting. The IMbrave050 trial, comparing adjuvant atezolizumab in combination with bevacizumab to active surveillance following curative-intent resection or ablation, was the first to report, fast-tracking the results of the first interim analysis and demonstrating an improvement in recurrence-free survival. The trial has provoked a discussion on the horizon of expectations from adjuvant treatment and the clinical relevance of efficacy endpoints. Moreover, major pathological responses reported from early phase 2 data in the neoadjuvant setting provide a strong rationale for the evaluation of these concepts in phase 3 trials. In this review, we summarize current evidence and outline future directions for systemic therapies in early-stage HCC.

Adjuvant and Neoadjuvant Treatments for Resectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review provides an update on the developments of adjuvant and neoadjuvant liver-directed and systemic therapy options for patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

RECENT FINDINGS

Data on liver-directed treatment in the adjuvant and neoadjuvant settings are sparse and results are conflicting; many studies suggest that optimizing patient selection criteria is a key milestone required to improve study design and clinical benefit to patients. Systemic treatment options are primarily focused on investigation of anti-PD-1/L1 immunotherapeutic agents, either alone or in combination with other drugs. Numerous clinical trials in both adjuvant and neoadjuvant settings are in progress. Exploration of liver-directed and systemic treatment options for adjuvant and neoadjuvant treatment of patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma has the potential to improve clinical outcomes for this patient population.

Adjuvant therapy with Jianpi Huayu decoction improves overall and recurrence-free survival after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective propensity score-matching study

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients experience high rates of recurrence following hepatectomy. Many herbal preparations used in traditional Chinese medicine have been shown to improve the postoperative condition of cancer patients. This retrospective study examined the efficacy and safety of Jianpi Huayu decoction (JPHYD) as adjuvant therapy for HCC following hepatectomy. HCC patients received postoperative management according to Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology recommendations, either alone (Control group) or in addition to daily JPHYD (1 week in hospital and 3 months after release). To reduce selection bias, we performed 1:1 propensity score matching between the Control and JPHYD groups. The main endpoint was recurrence-free survival (RFS), and secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS) and adverse event frequency. A total of 207 patients meeting inclusion criteria were enrolled, 127 in the Control group and 80 in the JPHYD group. Patients were then propensity score-matched, yielding each group of 80. Recurrence-free survival rate was significantly higher in the JPHYD group than in the Control group at 1 year (67.9% vs. 38.1%), 2 years (39.1% vs. 26.2%), and 3 years (31.3% vs. 26.2%) following hepatectomy (HR 0.5666 [95%CI, 0.3655 to 0.8784]; p = 0.0066). Additionally, OS was significantly higher in the JPHYD group than the Control group at 1 year (94.3% vs. 81.9%), 2 years (76.4% vs. 58.8%), and 3 years (66.3% vs. 51.4%) following hepatectomy (HR 0.5199 [95%CI, 0.2849 to 0.9490]; p = 0.027). Adverse events frequencies did not differ between the two groups. In conclusion, JPHYD can safely improve RFS and OS following hepatectomy for HCC.