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Case Report: Complete response after tislelizumab treatment in a hepatocellular carcinoma patient with abdominal
Haihui Deng1, Bin Chen1, Deti Peng2
1Department of Interventional Radiology, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
Background:
Abdominal lymph node (ALN) metastasis is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) because of the limited number of effective therapeutic options available. Immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as those targeting programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1), have produced encouraging results in patients with advanced HCC. Here, we report a complete response (CR) in a patient with advanced HCC and ALN metastasis after combination treatment with tislelizumab (a PD-1 inhibitor) and locoregional therapy.
Case Summary:
A 58-year-old man with HCC experienced progressive disease with multiple ALN metastases after undergoing transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and laparoscopic resection. Because the patient did not wish to receive systemic therapy, including chemotherapy and targeting therapy, we prescribed tislelizumab (as a single immunotherapeutic agent) together with RFA. After four tislelizumab treatment cycles, the patient achieved a CR without tumor recurrence for up to 15 months.
Conclusion:
Tislelizumab monotherapy can be effectively used to treat advanced HCC with ALN metastasis. Moreover, the combination of locoregional therapy and tislelizumab is likely to further increase therapeutic efficacy.
Insights
Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with abdominal lymph node metastasis achieved complete response using tislelizumab, a PD-1 inhibitor, combined with locoregional therapy. This combination shows promise for treating advanced HCC.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunotherapy
- Hepatocellular Carcinoma Research
Background:
- Abdominal lymph node (ALN) metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) significantly worsens prognosis due to limited treatment options.
- Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) show promise in advanced HCC.
- This case report details a novel treatment approach for advanced HCC with ALN metastasis.
Observation:
- A 58-year-old male patient with advanced HCC and multiple ALN metastases progressed despite transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, radiofrequency ablation, and resection.
- The patient opted for immunotherapy over systemic chemotherapy or targeted therapy.
- Tislelizumab (a PD-1 inhibitor) was administered in combination with radiofrequency ablation.
Findings:
- The patient achieved a complete response (CR) after four cycles of tislelizumab treatment.
- No tumor recurrence was observed for up to 15 months post-treatment.
- Tislelizumab monotherapy demonstrated efficacy in treating advanced HCC with ALN metastasis.
Implications:
- Tislelizumab monotherapy is an effective treatment for advanced HCC with ALN metastasis.
- Combining locoregional therapy with tislelizumab may enhance therapeutic outcomes.
- This approach offers a potential new strategy for managing advanced HCC with challenging metastatic patterns.
