Objective Response Predicts Survival in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma treated with Systemic Therapies

BackgroundProgrammed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) pathway blockade with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is a standard therapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) nowadays. No strategies to overcome ICI resistance have been described. We aimed to evaluate the use of ipilimumab and anti-PD-1 ICIs (nivolumab or pembrolizumab) combinations in patients with advanced HCC with progression on prior ICIs.MethodsPatients with advanced HCC with documented tumor progression on prior ICIs and subsequently received ipilimumab with nivolumab/pembrolizumab were analyzed. Objective response rate (ORR), median duration of response (DOR), time-to-progression (TTP), overall survival (OS), and treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were assessed.ResultsTwenty-five patients were included. The median age was 62 (range: 51–83). About 68% were of Child-Pugh (CP) Grade A and 48% had primary resistance to prior ICI. At median follow-up of 37.7 months, the ORR was 16% with a median DOR of 11.5 months (range: 2.76–30.3). Three patients achieved complete response. The median TTP was 2.96 months (95% CI: 1.61 to 4.31). Median OS was 10.9 months (95% CI: 3.99 to 17.8) and the 1 year, 2 year and 3 year survival rates were 42.4%, 32.3% and 21.6%, respectively. The ORR was 16.7% in primary resistance group and 15.4% in acquired resistance group (p=1.00). All responders were of CP A and Albumin-Bilirubin (ALBI) Grade 1 or 2. CP and ALBI Grades were significantly associated with OS (p=0.006 and p<0.001, respectively). Overall, 52% of patients experienced TRAEs and 12% experienced Grade 3 or above TRAEs.ConclusionsIpilimumab and nivolumab/pembrolizumab can achieve durable antitumor activity and encouraging survival outcomes with acceptable toxicity in patients with advanced HCC who had prior treatment with ICIs.

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Sorafenib-Regorafenib Sequential Therapy in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Single-Institute Experience

Digestive Diseases ◽

10.1159/000480257 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 35 (6) ◽

pp. 611-617 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Kazuomi Ueshima ◽

Naoshi Nishida ◽

Masatoshi Kudo

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Objective Response ◽

Progression Free Survival ◽

Sequential Therapy ◽

Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Open Label ◽

Effective Treatment Option ◽

Sorafenib Treatment ◽

Advanced Hcc ◽

Grade 3

Objectives: Previously, no therapeutic agent has been known to improve the overall survival compared with placebo in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), who have progressed after sorafenib. In this patient population, regorafenib was first demonstrated to confer a survival benefit in the RESORCE trial, and subsequently it was approved as a second-line treatment for patients with advanced HCC. An open-label expanded access program (EAP) of regorafenib was implemented for compassionate use. We investigated the efficacy and safety of regorafenib based on our experience of the RESORCE trial and the EAP. Methods: Data from 5 patients from the RESORCE trial and 6 from the EAP were analyzed retrospectively. All patients had tolerated prior sorafenib and were progressing during sorafenib treatment. Results: The median progression-free survival was 9.2 months (95% CI 2.3-16.1). One patient achieved a partial response and 7 achieved stable disease. The objective response rate was 9.1%, and the disease control rate was 72.7%. No treatment-associated mortalities were observed. Grade 3 hypophosphatemia was observed in 2 patients, grade 2 anorexia was observed in 5 patients, and grade 3 neutropenia was observed in 2 patients. Grade 2 and grade 3 thrombocytopenia were observed in 2 and 3 patients, respectively. All treatment-related adverse events were improved by reduction or interruption of regorafenib. Five patients showed decreased serum albumin levels. Conclusion: Sorafenib and regorafenib sequential therapy presents a safe and effective treatment option for patients with advanced HCC.

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Avelumab in Combination with Axitinib as First-Line Treatment in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Results from the Phase 1b VEGF Liver 100 Trial

Liver Cancer ◽

10.1159/000514420 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Masatoshi Kudo ◽

Kenta Motomura ◽

Yoshiyuki Wada ◽

Yoshitaka Inaba ◽

Yasunari Sakamoto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Kinase Inhibitor ◽

Group Performance ◽

Objective Response ◽

Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group ◽

Clinical Activity ◽

Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Recist 1.1 ◽

Phase 1B ◽

Grade 3

Introduction: Combining an immune checkpoint inhibitor with a targeted antiangiogenic agent may leverage complementary mechanisms of action for the treatment of advanced/metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC). Avelumab is a human anti-PD-L1 IgG1 antibody with clinical activity in various tumor types; axitinib is a selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 1, 2, and 3. We report the final analysis from VEGF Liver 100 (NCT03289533), a phase 1b study evaluating safety and efficacy of avelumab plus axitinib in treatment-naive patients with aHCC. Methods: Eligible patients had confirmed aHCC, no prior systemic therapy, ≥1 measurable lesion, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≤1, and Child-Pugh class A disease. Patients received avelumab 10 mg/kg intravenously every 2 weeks plus axitinib 5 mg orally twice daily until progression, unacceptable toxicity, or withdrawal. Endpoints included safety and investigator-assessed objective response per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 and modified RECIST (mRECIST) for HCC. Results: Twenty-two Japanese patients were enrolled and treated with avelumab plus axitinib. The minimum follow-up was 18 months as of October 25, 2019 (data cutoff). Grade 3 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 16 patients (72.7%); the most common (≥3 patients) were hypertension (n = 11 [50.0%]), palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (n = 5 [22.7%]), and decreased appetite (n = 3 [13.6%]). No grade 4 TRAEs or treatment-related deaths occurred. Ten patients (45.5%) had an immune-related AE (irAE) of any grade; 3 patients (13.6%) had an infusion-related reaction (IRR) of any grade, and no grade ≥3 irAE and IRR were observed. The objective response rate was 13.6% (95% CI: 2.9–34.9%) per RECIST 1.1 and 31.8% (95% CI: 13.9–54.9%) per mRECIST for HCC. Conclusion: Treatment with avelumab plus axitinib was associated with a manageable toxicity profile and showed antitumor activity in patients with aHCC.

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Baseline Interleukin-6 and -8 predict response and survival in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with sorafenib monotherapy: an exploratory post hoc analysis of the SORAMIC trial

Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1007/s00432-021-03627-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Osman Öcal ◽

Kerstin Schütte ◽

Juozas Kupčinskas ◽

Egidijus Morkunas ◽

Gabija Jurkeviciute ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Overall Survival ◽

Objective Response ◽

Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Sorafenib Treatment ◽

Post Hoc Analysis ◽

Y90 Radioembolization ◽

Baseline Values ◽

Post Hoc

Abstract Purpose To explore the potential correlation between baseline interleukin (IL) values and overall survival or objective response in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) receiving sorafenib. Methods A subset of patients with HCC undergoing sorafenib monotherapy within a prospective multicenter phase II trial (SORAMIC, sorafenib treatment alone vs. combined with Y90 radioembolization) underwent baseline IL-6 and IL-8 assessment before treatment initiation. In this exploratory post hoc analysis, the best cut-off points for baseline IL-6 and IL-8 values predicting overall survival (OS) were evaluated, as well as correlation with the objective response. Results Forty-seven patients (43 male) with a median OS of 13.8 months were analyzed. Cut-off values of 8.58 and 57.9 pg/mL most effectively predicted overall survival for IL-6 and IL-8, respectively. Patients with high IL-6 (HR, 4.1 [1.9–8.9], p < 0.001) and IL-8 (HR, 2.4 [1.2–4.7], p = 0.009) had significantly shorter overall survival than patients with low IL values. Multivariate analysis confirmed IL-6 (HR, 2.99 [1.22–7.3], p = 0.017) and IL-8 (HR, 2.19 [1.02–4.7], p = 0.044) as independent predictors of OS. Baseline IL-6 and IL-8 with respective cut-off values predicted objective response rates according to mRECIST in a subset of 42 patients with follow-up imaging available (IL-6, 46.6% vs. 19.2%, p = 0.007; IL-8, 50.0% vs. 17.4%, p = 0.011). Conclusion IL-6 and IL-8 baseline values predicted outcomes of sorafenib-treated patients in this well-characterized prospective cohort of the SORAMIC trial. We suggest that the respective cut-off values might serve for validation in larger cohorts, potentially offering guidance for improved patient selection.

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Systemic therapies in elderly patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: do not forget metronomic capecitabine

European Journal of Surgical Oncology ◽

10.1016/j.ejso.2021.04.015 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Zainul Abedin Kapacee ◽

Mairéad G. McNamara ◽

Nicola de Liguori Carino ◽

Angela Lamarca ◽

Juan W. Valle ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Elderly Patients ◽

Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Systemic Therapies

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Brivanib in Patients With Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Who Were Intolerant to Sorafenib or for Whom Sorafenib Failed: Results From the Randomized Phase III BRISK-PS Study

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2012.47.3009 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 31 (28) ◽

pp. 3509-3516 ◽

Cited By ~ 359

Author(s):

Josep M. Llovet ◽

Thomas Decaens ◽

Jean-Luc Raoul ◽

Eveline Boucher ◽

Masatoshi Kudo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Growth Factor ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Objective Response ◽

Phase Iii ◽

Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Time To Progression ◽

Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptors ◽

Double Blind ◽

Dual Inhibitor

Purpose Brivanib is a selective dual inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor and fibroblast growth factor receptors implicated in tumorigenesis and angiogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). An unmet medical need persists for patients with HCC whose tumors do not respond to sorafenib or who cannot tolerate it. This multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial assessed brivanib in patients with HCC who had been treated with sorafenib. Patients and Methods In all, 395 patients with advanced HCC who progressed on/after or were intolerant to sorafenib were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive brivanib 800 mg orally once per day plus best supportive care (BSC) or placebo plus BSC. The primary end point was overall survival (OS). Secondary end points included time to progression (TTP), objective response rate (ORR), and disease control rate based on modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST) and safety. Results Median OS was 9.4 months for brivanib and 8.2 months for placebo (hazard ratio [HR], 0.89; 95.8% CI, 0.69 to 1.15; P = .3307). Adjusting treatment effect for baseline prognostic factors yielded an OS HR of 0.81 (95% CI, 0.63 to 1.04; P = .1044). Exploratory analyses showed a median time to progression of 4.2 months for brivanib and 2.7 months for placebo (HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.42 to 0.76; P < .001), and an mRECIST ORR of 10% for brivanib and 2% for placebo (odds ratio, 5.72). Study discontinuation due to treatment-related adverse events (AEs) occurred in 61 brivanib patients (23%) and nine placebo patients (7%). The most frequent treatment-related grade 3 to 4 AEs for brivanib included hypertension (17%), fatigue (13%), hyponatremia (11%), and decreased appetite (10%). Conclusion In patients with HCC who had been treated with sorafenib, brivanib did not significantly improve OS. The observed benefit in the secondary outcomes of TTP and ORR warrants further investigation.

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A real-world study of camrelizumab in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2021.39.15_suppl.e16121 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e16121-e16121

Author(s):

Yong-Yi Zeng ◽

Wu-hua Guo ◽

Zhibo Zhang ◽

Xi Shi ◽

Yongjie Su ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Clinical Trial ◽

Real World ◽

Group Performance ◽

Objective Response ◽

Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group ◽

Chinese Patients ◽

Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Phase Ii Studies ◽

Clinical Trial Information

e16121 Background: Programmed cell death protein‐1(PD-1) targeted immunotherapy is a promising treatment strategy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Anti-PD-1 inhibitor camrelizumab showed antitumour activity in phase II studies of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, with manageable toxicities. This study evaluates safety and efficacy of camrelizumab in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: This is a multicentre, real‐world trial done at thirty-three centres in Fujian Province, China. Eligible patients were aged 18 to 75 years was diagnosed by China Liver Cancer Staging(CNLC) 2019 clinical diagnostic criteria or with a histological or cytological diagnosis of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, unresectable or had progressed on or were intolerant to previous systemic treatment, and had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance score of 0-1. Patients were received camrelizumab 200 mg intravenously every 2 weeks plus other treatments, such as molecular targeted drug, transcatheyer artetial chemoembolization, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The primary endpoints were progression-free survival. Safety was analysed in all treated patients. Follow-up is ongoing. Results: Between Mar 12, 2020, and Dec 25, 2020, 63 patients were screened for eligibility, of whom 41 eligible patients received camrelizumab were recruited and among whom 15 received apatinib, 16 received lenvatinib, 2 received sorafenib and 1 received regorafenib. Median followup was 5.28 months (IQR 1.63–10.20). Objective response was reported in 12 (29.3%; 95% CI 16.1–45.5) of 41 patients. Disease control was reported in 34 (82.9%; 95% CI 67.9–92.8) of 41 patients. The median PFS was not reached, and expected more than 9 months. Grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 21 (51.2%) of 41 patients; the most common were increased gamma-glutamyltransferase (15 [36.6%]) and increased aspartate aminotransferase (7 [17%]). One death was judged by the investigators to be potentially treatment-related (due to upper gastrointestinal bleeding). Conclusions: Camrelizumab showed promising efficacy and safety in pretreated Chinese patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, and might represent a new treatment option for these patients. Clinical trial information: ChiCTR2000041405. Research Sponsor: Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine Co., Ltd. Clinical trial information: ChiCTR2000041405.

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FRI-490-The real world practice of systemic therapies in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in Japan: what has changed since lenvatinib approval?

Journal of Hepatology ◽

10.1016/s0618-8278(19)31226-5 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 70 (1) ◽

pp. e614-e615

Author(s):

Susumu Maruta ◽

Sadahisa Ogasawara ◽

Yoshihiko Ooka ◽

Masanori Inoue ◽

Norio Itokawa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Real World ◽

Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

The Real ◽

Systemic Therapies

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Experience with Sorafenib in 3 Hospitals in Sao Paulo

Annals of Hepatology ◽

10.5604/01.3001.0012.4898 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 17 (5) ◽

pp. 0-10

Author(s):

Rogério Camargo-Pinheiro-Alves ◽

Daniele E. Viera-Alves ◽

Arthur Malzyner ◽

Otavio Gampel ◽

Thaisa de F. Almeida-Costa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Overall Survival ◽

Complex Disease ◽

Objective Response ◽

Evaluation Criteria ◽

Treatment Strategies ◽

Sao Paulo ◽

Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

São Paulo ◽

Sorafenib Therapy

Introduction and aim. Sorafenib has been the standard of care for first-line treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, a complex disease that affects an extremely heterogenous population. Thereby requiring multidisciplinary individualized treatment strategies that match the disease characteristics and the patients’ specific needs. Material and methods. Data for 175 patients who received sorafenib for hepatocellular carcinoma in three different hospitals in Sao Paulo, Brazil over a span of nine years were retrospectively analyzed. Results. The median age was 62 years. Percentages of patients with Child-Pugh A, B and C liver cirrhosis were 61%, 31% and 5%, respectively. Approximately half of the patients had Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage B disease, and the other half had stage C. The median treatment duration was 253 days. Sorafenib dose was reduced to 400 mg/day in 41% of the patients due to toxicity. Overall objective response rate as per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors and its modified version was 39%. Patients who received transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) at any point during sorafenib therapy were significantly more likely to experience an objective response. After a median follow-up of 339 days, the median overall survival was 380 days. Child-Pugh cirrhosis, tumor response and concomitant chemoembolization were independent prognostic factors for overall survival in multivariate analysis. Conclusion. Our results suggest that, in experienced hands, sorafenib therapy may benefit carefully selected hepatocellular carcinoma patients for whom other therapies are initially contraindicated, including those patients with Child-Pugh B liver function and those patients who are subsequently treated with concomitant TACE.

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Sorafenib versus cytotoxic chemotherapy for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: A retrospective, single-institution study.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2011.29.4_suppl.339 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 29 (4_suppl) ◽

pp. 339-339

Author(s):

S. Lee ◽

S. Yoon ◽

S. Shin ◽

H. Choi

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Objective Response ◽

Progression Free Survival ◽

Cytotoxic Chemotherapy ◽

Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Chemotherapy Group ◽

Sorafenib Group ◽

The Difference ◽

Grade 3 ◽

Novel Target

339 Background: Prior to the sorafenib era, most of the advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients had to rely only on conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy. But the introduction of sorafenib in 2008 had given HCC patients additional option for their treatment. However, given that sorafenib has been a nonreimbursable drug under the Korea public health system, most of treatment strategy has largely been determined by patients' affordability of the drug rather than by difference in efficacy and toxicity of the two treatments. Therefore, we compared the efficacy and toxicity of the two treatments by observing HCC patients. Methods: From January 2002 to December 2009, 173 patients with unresectable HCC had been retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 44 (25.4%) had been treated with sorafenib and the remaining had received cytotoxic chemotherapy. We evaluated objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and toxicity profiles. Results: The median OS of sorafenib group was 23.0 weeks (95% CI, 8.1-37.9) vs. 43.6 weeks (95% CI, 34.0-37.9) for cytotoxic chemotherapy group. The median PFS for sorafenib group was 11.1 weeks (95% CI, 6.5-15.8) versus 12.4 weeks (95% CI, 8.1-16.7) for cytotoxic chemotherapy group. However, the difference in both findings had not been statistically significant (p=0.105 and p=0.496, respectively). ORR and DCR for sorafenib group were 2.3% and 52.3% versus 6.2% and 43.4% for cytotoxic chemotherapy group, respectively. Patients treated with chemotherapy had shown higher frequencies of grade 3 or 4 neutropenia, 19.7%, (vs. 0% for sorafenib). However, the group with sorafenib had reported a higher rate of all grade dermatologic toxicities such as hand-foot skin reaction, rash and pruritus. Conclusions: Our analysis indicates that efficacy of conventional chemotherapy is not inferior to that of sorafenib. Further research including novel target agent and cytotoxic chemotherapy is needed to improve clinical outcomes for advanced HCC. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

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