Stereotactic body radiotherapy combined with sintilimab in patients with recurrent or oligometastatic hepatocellular carcinoma: A phase II clinical trial

Maintaining First-Line Therapy Plus Radiation Therapy May Prolong Progression-Free Survival and Delay Second-Line Therapy for Oligoprogressive Hepatocellular Carcinoma

PURPOSE

Optimal treatment strategies for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with oligoprogression after first-line systemic therapy (FLST) remain undefined. We aimed to determine whether maintaining (ie, continuing) FLST plus radiation therapy (RT) for oligoprogressive lesions (m-FLST + RT) would result in progression-free survival (PFS) equal to or greater than that of second-line systemic therapy (s-SLST), either alone or with RT (s-SLST + RT).

METHODS AND MATERIALS

From October 2018 to February 2024, 154 patients from 7 medical centers who developed oligoprogression after FLST were enrolled and assigned to 1 of 3 groups based on post-oligoprogression treatment strategy: m-FLST + RT, s-SLST + RT, or s-SLST-only. The primary outcome was PFS, and early patterns of recurrence were noted.

RESULTS

At a median follow-up time of 8.4 months, the median PFS time was longer in the m-FLST + RT group (8.6 months) compared with the s-SLS-only group (3.1 months) (hazard ratio, 3.163; 95% CI, 2.133-4.690; P < .001) and the s-SLST + RT group (5.8 months) (hazard ratio, 2.183; 95% CI, 1.110-4.293; P = .006). Multivariate Cox analysis demonstrated that albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade and postoligoprogression treatment strategy were independent prognostic factors for PFS. Stratified analysis by ALBI grade showed that m-FLST + RT resulted in significantly longer median PFS in patients with both ALBI-1 and ALBI-2 compared with s-SLST-only (P < .001). Regarding subsequent patterns of relapse, the m-FLST + RT group had a lower rate of re-enlargement of recently oligoprogressive lesions (27.6%) than the s-SLST + RT (31.8%) and s-SLST-only (50.0%) groups. It also had the lowest rate of re-enlargement of previously identified metastases that did not progress during FLST (13.8%) compared with s-SLRT + RT (27.3%) and s-SLST-only (24.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests a potential clinical benefit of m-FLST + RT without the need for s-SLST and provides insights to optimize treatment strategies for oligoprogressive hepatocellular carcinoma.

Promising PD-1 antagonists for liver cancer: an evaluation of phase II and III results

INTRODUCTION

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common primary liver cancer, is a major cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Limited treatment options for advanced stages highlight the need for effective therapies.

AREAS COVERED

This review explores immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), specifically PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4 inhibitors, as emerging treatments for advanced HCC. It discusses data from phase II and III trials evaluating ICI combinations with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), anti-angiogenic agents, and locoregional treatments like Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE). Clinical outcomes, including progression-free survival and response rates, were analyzed alongside the incidence and management of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). A systematic review approach ensured comprehensive, high-quality study inclusion.

EXPERT OPINION

ICI-based therapies and their combinations are transforming advanced HCC treatment, offering improved outcomes and potential survival benefits. However, these therapies need optimization in sequencing and selection, particularly considering variations in liver function and disease stage. Effective management of adverse effects is critical to maximize clinical benefits. Further research is required to develop personalized strategies, tailoring treatments to patient-specific factors and enhancing safety and effectiveness in HCC management.

Progress of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Among primary liver cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common pathological type. Its onset is insidious, and most patients have no obvious discomfort in the early stage, so it is found late, and the opportunity for surgical radical treatment is lost, resulting in a poor prognosis. With the introduction of molecular-targeted drugs represented by sorafenib, patients with middle- and late-stage liver cancer have regained the light of day. However, their therapeutic efficacy is relatively low due to the limited target of drug action, toxic side effects, and other reasons. At this time, the emergence of immunotherapy represented by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) well breaks this embarrassing situation, which mainly achieves the anti-tumor purpose by improving the tumor immune microenvironment. Currently, ICI monotherapy, as well as combination therapy, has been widely used in the clinic, further prolonging the survival of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. This article reviews the development of monotherapy and combination therapy for ICIs in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma and the latest research progress.

Efficacy of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy in patients with oligometastatic hepatocellular carcinoma: A phase II study

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) can extend survival and offers the potential for cure in some patients with oligometastatic disease (OMD). However, limited evidence exists regarding its use in oligometastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to prospectively investigate the efficacy and safety of SABR in patients with oligometastatic HCC.

METHODS

We enrolled patients with controlled primary HCC and one to five metastatic lesions amenable to SABR. The primary endpoint was treatment efficacy defined as overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The secondary endpoints included time to local progression, objective response rate, disease control rate, toxicities, and quality of life (QOL), assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30 before, and 0, 1, and 3 months after SABR.

RESULTS

Overall, 40 consecutive patients received SABR on 62 lesions between 2021 and 2022. The most common locations for OMD were the lungs (48.4%), lymph nodes (22.6%), and bone (17.7%). After a median follow-up of 15.5 months, the 2-year OS was 80%. Median PFS was 5.3 months, with 1- and 2-year PFS rates of 21.2% and 0%, respectively. A shorter time to OMD from the controlled primary independently correlated with PFS (p = 0.039, hazard ratio 2.127) alongside age, Child-Pugh class, and alpha-fetoprotein (p = 0.002, 0.004, 0.019, respectively). The 2-year time to local progression, objective response rate, and disease control rate were 91.1%, 75.8%, and 98.4%, respectively. Overall, 10% of patients experienced acute toxicity, and 7.5% experienced late toxicity, with no grade 3+ toxicity. All QOL scores remained stable, whereas the patients without systemic treatments had improved insomnia and social functioning scores.

CONCLUSIONS

SABR is an effective and feasible option for oligometastatic HCC that leads to excellent local tumor control and improves survival without adversely affecting QOL.

IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS

Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) is a non-invasive treatment approach capable of efficiently ablating the target lesion; however, neither the oligometastatic disease concept nor the potential benefits of SABR have been well-defined in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). According to this study, SABR is an effective and safe treatment option for oligometastatic HCC, yielding excellent local tumor control and survival improvement without worsening patients' quality of life, regardless of tumor sites. We also demonstrated that patients with a later presentation of OMD from the controlled primary and lower alpha-fetoprotein levels achieved better survival outcomes. This is the first prospective study of SABR in oligometastatic HCC, providing insights for the development of novel strategies to improve oncologic outcomes.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER

NCT05173610.

Lymphocyte-to-C Reactive Protein Ratio is an Independent Predictor of Survival Benefits for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Receiving Radiotherapy

Background

Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has emerged as an alternative approach for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and we aim to find potential prognostic biomarkers for HCC patients who received SBRT.

Methods

In this study, we retrospectively analyzed HCC patients who underwent SBRT in our institution from January 2018 to December 2022. The inflammatory parameters, along with baseline patients' characteristics were collected to elucidate the potential relationship with survival benefits and liver toxicities.

Results

Overall, 35 patients were enrolled in our study. For the efficacy population (25 patients who underwent SBRT for primary liver lesions), the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were 60% and 100%, respectively. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 9.9 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 5.6-14.1 months], and the median overall survival (OS) was 18.5 months (95% CI 14.2-22.8 months). We further confirmed that higher baseline lymphocyte-C-reactive protein ratio (LCR) (≥2361.11) was positively related to both longer PFS (12.0 vs 4.3 months, P = 0.002) and OS (21.9 vs 11.4 months, P = 0.022). Moreover, patients with diabetes and higher alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (≥400 ng/mL) were also found to be associated with worse OS. The most common hepatotoxicity was elevated gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) (84.0%).

Conclusion

In conclusion, for patients with inoperable HCC, SBRT resulted in satisfactory local control, survival benefits, and acceptable liver toxicity. Pre-radiotherapy LCR might be an independent and readily available predictor for survival, which facilitates us to find the most appropriate treatment options.

Treatment of Oligometastatic GI Cancers

Oligometastatic state is believed to potentially represent a transitional stage between early, locoregional state disease and widely metastatic disease. Historically, locoregional approaches, particularly in advanced colorectal cancers, have demonstrated efficacy in select patients with limited burden of metastatic disease. Recent strides in systemic therapies, including biomarker-based treatments and immunotherapy, alongside innovations in surgical techniques and novel locoregional approaches such as stereotactic radiotherapy and ablation, have ushered in a new era of therapeutic possibilities across all oligometastatic GI cancers. Despite these advancements, there remains a significant gap in high-quality prospective evidence guiding patient selection and treatment decisions across various disease types. Ongoing clinical trials are anticipated to provide crucial insights into oligometastatic states, fostering the refinement of disease-specific oligometastatic state definitions and treatment algorithms. This article reviews existing data on the management of oligometastatic GI cancer, summarizes current state of knowledge for each disease state, and provides updates on ongoing studies in this space.