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Patients with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma who received a vaccine of dendritic cells in addition to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and preconditioning cyclophosphamide experienced longer progression-free survival than those who received cyclophosphamide and TACE alone. The...
A network meta-analysis reported in JAMA Oncology found that among first-line systemic therapy options, immunotherapy-based combinations—particularly atezolizumab plus bevacizumab—offered the most favorable therapeutic balance between survival benefit and quality-of-life preservation in...
In a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, Reizner et al highlighted bias-minimized insights into the associations between autoimmune diseases, such as celiac disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes, and the risk of...
Globally, three in five liver cancer cases may be due to preventable risk factors, and obesity-linked cases of the disease are on the rise, according to findings from The Lancet Commission on hepatocellular carcinoma. The majority of liver cancer cases could be prevented by reducing levels of viral ...
A recent exploratory analysis of the phase III HIMALAYA trial involving patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has shown that 1 in 5 participants (19.6%) treated with the STRIDE regimen (single tremelimumab regular interval durvalumab) remained alive after 5 years of follow-up vs ...
This is Part 3 of First-Line Systemic Treatment of Advanced Hepatobiliary Cancers, a three-part video roundtable series. Scroll down to watch the other videos from this roundtable. In this video, Drs. Laura Goff, Kristen Spencer, and Mark Yarchoan discuss the treatment of fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma. The patient is a 24-year-old woman who presented with a 6-month history of nausea, vomiting, jaundice, and right upper quadrant abdominal pain. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a large hepatic mass with satellite lesions, biliary involvement, and lymphadenopathy. Biopsy confirmed a DNAJB1-PRKACA fusion, diagnostic of fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLC). In the conversation that follows, the faculty discuss how FLC is distinct from conventional hepatocellular carcinoma and does not follow standard management algorithms. Due to the cancer’s rarity, data are limited, and treatment decisions are often based on case reports or institutional experience. The faculty emphasize the urgent need for clinical trial participation to generate more data, highlighting several treatment approaches that are being explored in early-phase trials, including immunologic and fusion-directed approaches.
This is Part 2 of First-Line Systemic Treatment of Advanced Hepatobiliary Cancers, a three-part video roundtable series. Scroll down to watch the other videos from this roundtable. In this video, Drs. Laura Goff, Kristen Spencer, and Mark Yarchoan discuss the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. The patient is a 72-year-old man with hepatitis C virus cirrhosis who previously underwent transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) to two hypervascular lesions in the right liver. A follow-up computed tomography scan of the chest showed a new 2-cm right upper lobe lung nodule, which was subsequently biopsied and consistent with metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma. His AFP was 122. In the conversation that follows, the faculty discuss diagnostic and staging considerations for this patient, the role of esophagogastroduodenoscopy, how to choose among first-line immunotherapy doublets, which patients should receive bevacizumab, and the importance of individualizing treatment selection based on patient-specific factors.
This is Part 1 of First-Line Systemic Treatment of Advanced Hepatobiliary Cancers, a three-part video roundtable series. Scroll down to watch the other videos from this roundtable. In this video, Drs. Laura Goff, Kristen Spencer, and Mark Yarchoan discuss the treatment of metastatic cholangiocarcinoma. The patient is a 45-year-old man who presents with right upper quadrant abdominal pain. Cross-sectional imaging revealed a mass in the lower third of the bile duct that encased the portal vein, common hepatic, and right hepatic arteries. Biopsy confirmed moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. His CA 19-9 was 598, and bilirubin was 2.4. A CT scan of the chest revealed bilateral pulmonary nodes consistent with metastases. In the conversation that follows, the faculty discuss the role of chemoimmunotherapy in the treatment of metastatic cholangiocarcinoma, the importance of tailoring duration of treatment to individual patient needs, and the still uncertain role of tumor sequencing in the first-line treatment of cholangiocarcinoma.
In a UK population-based study reported in The Lancet Oncology, Watling et al examined the relationship between ever use vs never use of oral contraceptives and the risk of liver cancer. Some findings suggested the possibility of slightly increased risk with longer-term use. As noted by the...
In two Japanese studies (SURF-RCT and SURF-Cohort) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Kawaguchi et al compared the outcomes of surgery vs radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Study Details Two multicenter studies were performed, with...
In a follow-up analysis of the pivotal TOPAZ-1 study, which established the combination of the PD-L1 inhibitor durvalumab plus gemcitabine and cisplatin as the first-line treatment for advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC), researchers have shown that after 3 years, more than twice as many study...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved SIR-Spheres Y-90 resin microspheres, manufactured by Sirtex, for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). With this approval, these microspheres become the only radioembolization therapy approved for the treatment of both ...
A novel immuno–positron-emission tomography (immunoPET) imaging agent targeting GPC3 demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity in detecting GPC3-positive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumors, including those under 1 cm, according to the results of a pilot clinical study presented at the...
In a Chinese phase III trial (APOLLO) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Zhou et al evaluated whether the combination of the multikinase inhibitor anlotinib and the PD-1 inhibitor penpulimab improved progression-free survival and overall survival vs sorafenib in first-line treatment of unresectable...
In patients with aggressive gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, first-line treatment with the mTOR inhibitor everolimus and the somatostatin analog lanreotide more than doubled the median progression-free survival for patients vs everolimus alone, in the phase III JCOG1901 (STARTER-NET)...
On April 11, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved nivolumab (Opdivo) with ipilimumab (Yervoy) for the first-line treatment of adults with unresectable or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma. (See here for details on approval of this combination immunotherapy for colorectal...
Percutaneous hepatic perfusion using a melphalan hepatic delivery system (melphalan/HDS) may be an effective treatment option in patients with unresectable uveal melanoma that has metastasized to the liver, according to a recent study published by Zager et al in the Annals of Surgical Oncology....
On April 11, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved nivolumab (Opdivo) with ipilimumab (Yervoy) for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Efficacy was evaluated in CheckMate-9DW (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier...
An increasing proportion of the U.S. public may be aware of the link between consuming alcohol and the elevated risk of later developing cancer, according to a recent survey conducted by the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC). Background On January 3, 2025, Vivek...
The 2025 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium once again delivered a slate of high-impact studies spanning esophageal, gastric, hepatocellular, pancreatic, biliary tract, and colorectal malignancies. Experts in the field offered fresh perspectives on evolving standards of care, and investigators ...
In a retrospective study reported in JAMA Network Open, Lim et al found that complete response to immunotherapy as first-line treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma was associated with good outcomes. Study Details The study involved analysis of 228 patients who received atezolizumab and...
Plasma proteins may be capable of distinguishing gallbladder cancer from cholecystitis, which could reduce unnecessary procedures and improve treatment options in patients with suspected gallbladder cancer, according to a recent study published by Nouairia et al in JHEP Reports. Gallbladder cancer...
Investigators may have uncovered notable pharmacokinetic differences between male and female patients in at least 14 anticancer drugs, according to a recent study published by Delahousse et al in ESMO Open. Background Many cancer drugs have a narrow therapeutic window. As a result, slight...
Investigators have found that although fewer patients may be diagnosed with and dying from cancer in Appalachia, cancer incidence and mortality rates remain substantially higher compared with elsewhere in the United States, according to a recent study published by Burus et al in the Journal of the...
In the phase III EMERALD-1 trial reported in The Lancet, Sangro et al found that transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with durvalumab/bevacizumab improved progression-free survival vs placebo in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) amenable to embolization. Study Details In...
In a phase Ib-II study (MORPHEUS-Liver) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Finn et al found that the addition of tiragolumab, an anti-TIGIT monoclonal antibody, to atezolizumab/bevacizumab improved objective response rate in patients with unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic hepatocellular...
As reported in The Lancet by Kudo et al, the phase III LEAP-012 trial has shown a significant progression-free survival benefit with the addition of lenvatinib and pembrolizumab to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with unresectable nonmetastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A...
Investigators may have established a dose-dependent model of alcohol consumption on the risks of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, according to a recent study published by Wu et al in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Hepatology. The quantitative...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Shroff et al, the phase III SWOG S1815 trial showed that nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine/cisplatin (GAP regimen) did not significantly improve overall survival vs gemcitabine/cisplatin alone in newly diagnosed patients with advanced biliary tract...
The addition of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) to systemic therapy with sorafenib may improve progression-free survival and time-to-progression in patients with locally advanced hepatocellular carcinoma compared with sorafenib alone, according to a novel study published by Dawson et al in...
A novel strategy may increase the activity of dendritic cells and improve immunotherapy outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, according to a recent study published by Morita et al in Cancer Immunology Research. Background Hepatic cancer is a disease with a poor prognosis. Despite...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted accelerated approval to zanidatamab-hrii (Ziihera), a bispecific HER2-directed antibody, for previously treated, unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive (IHC 3+) biliary tract cancer, as detected by an FDA-approved test. The FDA also...
An updated overall survival analysis of the phase III HIMALAYA study, now at 5 years, confirms the benefit for the STRIDE regimen of the monoclonal antibodies durvalumab plus tremelimumab in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.1 [The STRIDE regimen consists of a single priming dose of...
The combination of the VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitor lenvatinib, the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab, and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) compared with TACE alone, according to...
The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2024 in Barcelona featured several groundbreaking trials with the potential to significantly influence clinical practice. These studies highlighted the benefits of new combination immunotherapy strategies and innovative approaches in the...
The studies summarized below were reported online over the past month in The ASCO Post, generating a high number of visitors. For comprehensive reviews of these studies and more, visit ASCOPost.com. Trastuzumab Duocarmazine in Previously Treated HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer In the phase...
At the 2024 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved, Rebecca D. Kehm, PhD, of Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, and colleagues presented some of the ...
The National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China has accepted a supplemental new drug application (sNDA) for penpulimab, a differentiated PD-1 monoclonal antibody, in combination with the multikinase inhibitor anlotinib for the first-line treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted accelerated approval to zanidatamab-hrii (Ziihera), a bispecific HER2-directed antibody, for previously treated, unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive (IHC 3+) biliary tract cancer, as detected by an FDA-approved test. The FDA also approved ...
In a phase II trial (IMbrave151) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Macarulla et al found that atezolizumab/bevacizumab plus chemotherapy produced a “modest” improvement in progression-free survival vs atezolizumab/placebo plus chemotherapy in first-line treatment of patients with...
Attendees at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2024 heard the results of many positive clinical trials that will advance the field of cancer treatment. However, a few late-stage trials of promising adjuvant therapies unexpectedly reported negative results. The ASCO Post...
In an analysis reported in The Lancet Oncology, D’Alessio et al found that major pathologic response and complete pathologic response to neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy was associated with improved relapse-free survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Study Details The...
A newly described stage of lymph node–like structures, known as tertiary lymphoid structures, identified in hepatic tumors following presurgical immunotherapy may be vital to successfully treating patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, according to a recent study published by Shu et al in Nature...
Researchers found that a higher dosage of radioembolization treatment using yttrium (Y)-90 microspheres than previously recommended may benefit patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, according to a recent study published by Chen et al in Liver Cancer. The findings could be practice-changing....
In the European TransMet trial, reported in The Lancet, Adam et al found that liver transplantation plus chemotherapy improved overall survival vs chemotherapy alone in patients with permanently unresectable colorectal cancer liver metastases. Study Details In the open-label trial, 94 patients...
The combination of the VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitor lenvatinib, the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab, and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) compared with TACE alone, according to...
An updated overall survival analysis of the phase III HIMALAYA study, now at 5 years, confirms the benefit for the STRIDE regimen of the monoclonal antibodies durvalumab plus tremelimumab in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.1 [The STRIDE regimen consists of a single priming dose of...
Maeve Lowery, MD, discusses the results of the phase II DUBHE-H-308 trial, which evaluated QL1706—a bifunctional antibody consisting of iparomlimab and tuvonralimab—plus bevacizumab and/or chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (Abstract LBA38).
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Laura A. Dawson, MD, of the University Health Network–Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University of Toronto, and colleagues, the Canadian phase III CCRG HE1 trial showed that the addition of a single fraction of palliative radiotherapy to best supportive care...
Josep M. Llovet, MD, PhD, presented the results of the LEAP-012 trial during the Presidential Symposium I at the ESMO Congress 2024 (Abstract LBA3). In this brief summary, Dr. Llovet talks further about how management of hepatocellular carcinoma differs across stages.