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Updated: Dec 11, 2025

An Oncogenic Hepatocyte-Induced Orthotopic Mouse Model of Hepatocellular Cancer Arising in the Setting of Hepatic Inflammation and Fibrosis
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Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors versus VEGF Targeted Therapy as Second Line Regimen in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Anwaar Saeed1, Hannah Hildebrand1, Robin Park2

  • 1Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Gastrointestinal Oncology Program, Kansas University Cancer Center, Kansas City, KS 66205, USA.

Journal of Clinical Medicine
|August 23, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Immunotherapy (IO) showed a non-significant trend favoring improved survival compared to non-IO therapies in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients receiving second-line treatment. Further research is needed to optimize treatment strategies for HCC.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatocellular Carcinoma Research
  • Oncology
  • Clinical Trials

Background:

  • Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment options beyond frontline therapy are expanding with multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (mTKIs) and immunotherapy (IO).
  • Lack of head-to-head trials makes selecting optimal second-line systemic therapy challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the efficacy of second-line immunotherapy (IO) versus non-IO therapies in patients with advanced HCC.
  • To analyze progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) between treatment groups.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of the Kansas University (KU) cancer registry for advanced HCC patients.
  • Division of patients into IO and non-IO second-line treatment groups.
  • Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards models used for survival analysis.

Main Results:

  • No statistically significant differences in PFS or OS were observed between IO and non-IO groups.
  • A non-significant trend favored IO, with median PFS of 3.9 months vs. 3 months and median OS of 10 months vs. 10 months.
  • This study represents one of the largest comparisons of second-line IO and non-IO therapies in advanced HCC.

Conclusions:

  • Second-line immunotherapy (IO) did not demonstrate statistically significant superiority over non-IO therapies in advanced HCC.
  • Future research should focus on identifying biomarkers for personalized treatment and exploring combinatorial strategies.
  • Individualized treatment optimization based on patient and tumor characteristics is crucial for improving outcomes in advanced HCC.
Keywords:
Program Death Ligand 1checkpoint inhibitorshepatocellular carcinomaimmunotherapymulti-tyrosine kinase inhibitorstargeted therapy

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