Project description:IntroductionSeveral clinical trials comparing the efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) plus molecular-targeted agents versus TACE alone revealed no clinical benefits in progression-free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS). Here, we report the final OS analysis from the TACTICS trial, which previously demonstrated significant improvement in PFS with TACE plus sorafenib in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (NCT01217034).MethodsPatients with unresectable HCC were randomized to a TACE plus sorafenib group (N = 80) or a TACE alone group (N = 76). Patients in the combination treatment group received sorafenib 400 mg once daily for 2-3 weeks before TACE, followed by 800 mg once daily during on-demand conventional TACE sessions until time to untreatable progression. In this trial, TACE-specific PFS was used. TACE-specific PFS is defined as the time from randomization to progressive disease (PD) or death from any cause, and PD was defined as untreatable progression, caused by the inability of a patient to further receive or benefit from TACE for reasons that include intrahepatic tumor progression (25% increase vs. baseline) according to response evaluation criteria in cancer of the liver, the detection of extrahepatic spread, vascular invasion, or transient deterioration of liver function to Child-Pugh C after TACE.ResultsAt the cut-off date of July 31, 2020, 131 OS events were observed. The median OS was 36.2 months with TACE plus sorafenib and 30.8 months with TACE alone (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.861; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.607-1.223; p = 0.40, ΔOS, 5.4 months). The updated PFS was 22.8 months with TACE plus sorafenib and 13.5 months with TACE alone (HR = 0.661; 95% CI, 0.466-0.938; p = 0.02). Post-trial treatments with active procedures/agents were received by 47 (58.8%) patients in the TACE plus sorafenib group and 58 (76.3%) in the TACE alone group (p = 0.01). In post hoc analysis, PFS and OS benefit were shown in HCC patients with tumor burden beyond up-to-7 criteria.ConclusionsIn TACTICS trial, TACE plus sorafenib did not show significant OS benefit over TACE alone; however, clinical meaningful OS prolongation and significantly improved PFS was observed. Thus, the TACE plus sorafenib can be considered a choice of treatment in intermediate-stage HCC, especially in patients with high tumor burden. Trial Registration: NCT01217034.
Project description:ObjectivesTo develop and validate a deep learning-based overall survival (OS) prediction model in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) plus sorafenib.MethodsThis retrospective multicenter study consisted of 201 patients with treatment-naïve, unresectable HCC who were treated with TACE plus sorafenib. Data from 120 patients were used as the training set for model development. A deep learning signature was constructed using the deep image features from preoperative contrast-enhanced computed tomography images. An integrated nomogram was built using Cox regression by combining the deep learning signature and clinical features. The deep learning signature and nomograms were also externally validated in an independent validation set of 81 patients. C-index was used to evaluate the performance of OS prediction.ResultsThe median OS of the entire set was 19.2 months and no significant difference was found between the training and validation cohort (18.6 months vs. 19.5 months, P = 0.45). The deep learning signature achieved good prediction performance with a C-index of 0.717 in the training set and 0.714 in the validation set. The integrated nomogram showed significantly better prediction performance than the clinical nomogram in the training set (0.739 vs. 0.664, P = 0.002) and validation set (0.730 vs. 0.679, P = 0.023).ConclusionThe deep learning signature provided significant added value to clinical features in the development of an integrated nomogram which may act as a potential tool for individual prognosis prediction and identifying HCC patients who may benefit from the combination therapy of TACE plus sorafenib.
Project description:BackgroundTransarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the recommended treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients at Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) B-stage, whereas sorafenib is an orally administered small molecule target drug for BCLC C-stage. This updated systemic review and meta-analysis focuses on identifying the efficacy of the combination of TACE with sorafenib, which remains controversial despite years of exploration.MethodsPubMed, EMBASE, Scopus and the Cochrane Library were systematically reviewed to search for studies published from January 1990 to May 2017. Studies focusing on the efficacy of combination therapy for unresectable HCC were eligible. The hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for time to progression (TTP), overall survival (OS), disease control rate (DCR) and aetiology were collected. The data were then analysed through fixed/random effects meta-analysis models with STATA 13.0. The incidence and severity of treatment-related adverse events (AEs) were also evaluated.ResultsTwenty-seven studies were included. Thirteen non-comparative studies reported median OS (ranging from 18.5 to 20.4 months), median TTP (ranging from 7 to 13.9 months) and DCR (ranging from 18.4 to 95%). Fourteen comparative studies provided median OS (ranging from 7.0 to 29.7 months) and median TTP (ranging from 2.6 to 10.2 months). Five comparative studies provided DCR (ranging from 32 to 97.2%). Forest plots showed that combination therapy significantly improved TTP (HR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.50-0.81, P = 0.002) rather than OS (HR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.55-0.71, P = 0.058), compared to TACE alone. DCR increased significantly in the combination therapy group (OR = 2.93, 95% CI 1.59-5.41, P = 0.005). Additional forest plots were drawn and no significant differences were observed with regard to survival outcome among various aetiologies. Forest plots for separate analysis of regions showed the HR for TTP was 0.62 (95% CI 0.45-0.79, P = 0.002) in the Asian countries group, and 0.82 (95% CI 0.59-1.05, P = 0.504)) in western countries. The HR for OS was 0.61 (95% CI 0.48-0.75, P = 0.050) in the Asian countries group and was 0.88 (95% CI 0.56-1.20, P = 0.845) in western countries. These data may indicate positive TTP outcome in Asian patients but not in European patients while no positive findings regarding OS were observed in either region. The most common AEs included fatigue, hand-foot skin reaction, diarrhoea and hypertension.ConclusionsCombination therapy may benefit unresectable HCC patients in terms of prolonged TTP and DCR. More well-designed studies are needed to investigate its superiority for OS.
Project description:BackgroundThe combination of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) fulfills an important role in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). Among the combination therapies, both lenvatinib and sorafenib combined with TACE are recommended as first-¬line treatments for uHCC. However, at present, limited data are available concerning the efficacy and safety of these two combination therapies in uHCC.MethodsA detailed systematic search for studies on lenvatinib plus TACE (LEN+TACE) and sorafenib plus TACE (SOR+TACE) was conducted in the online databases PubMed, Embase and The Cochrane Library. The outcome data including overall survival (OS), progression free survival (PFS), time to progression (TTP), tumor response and adverse events (AEs), were independently extracted by two authors in a standardized way.ResultsOne randomized controlled trial and five cohort studies with 598 patients (LEN+TACE: 261, SOR+TACE: 337) were included in the meta-analysis. A higher rate of odds ratio (OR) for the objective response rate (ORR) [OR: 3.63; 95% confidence intervals (95% CI): 1.89-6.95; I squared statistic (I2) = 57%, P < 0.001] and disease control rate (DCR) (OR: 3.78; 95% CI: 2.00-7.16; I2 = 52%, P = 0.0001) were observed in the LEN+SOR group compared with the SOR+TACE group. The LEN+TACE group also had significant longer OS [hazard ratio (HR): 0.67; 95% CI: 0.52-0.85; I2 = 1%, P = 0.001], PFS (HR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.38-0.62; I2 = 0%, P? 0.001) and TTP (HR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.45-0.84; I2 = 0%, P = 0.002) compared with the SOR+TACE group. The incidence of hypertension (OR: 3.05; 95% CI: 1.45-6.39; P = 0.003) and proteinuria (OR: 5.25; 95% CI: 1.73-15.89; P = 0.003) were significantly higher in the LEN+TACE group than SOR+TACE group, while LEN+TACE group exhibited a lower rate of hand-foot-skin reaction (HFSR) (OR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.27-0.95; P = 0.03) compared with the SOR+TACE group.ConclusionThe combination therapy of LEN+TACE showed significant superiority compared with SOR+TACE in terms of its efficacy for patients with uHCC. SOR+TACE should be recommended as a replacement therapy when serious AEs occur during the administration of LEN+TACE as the combination therapy.
Project description:We explored the hypothesis that sorafenib may improve the effect of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and that longer sorafenib duration was associated with additional survival benefits. In this retrospective, nested case-controlled study, 1126 cases of unresectable HCC were collected. Patients with unresectable disease treated with TACE+sorafenib (n=245) and TACE alone (n=245) and those with recurrence after surgery treated with TACE+sorafenib (n=127) and TACE alone (n=127) were identified and matched according to sex, age, and lesion size and number. The clinicopathological factors associated with survival were examined by univariate and multivariate analyses. The mean duration of sorafenib treatment was 10.8±10.51 months. Sorafenib significantly increased the median survival time as compared to TACE alone (unresectable HCC: 20.23 vs. 13.97 months, respectively; p=0.013 and recurrent HCC: 30.7 and 18.22 months, respectively; p=0.003). The survival of patients with unresectable HCC was associated with the presence of portal vein tumor thrombus (HR=1.47, p=0.004) and treatment method (TACE+sorafenib combination therapy; HR=0.72, p=0.003). For patients with recurrent HCC, the presence of extrahepatic metastasis (HR=1.71, p=0.012) and treatment method (TACE+sorafenib therapy; HR=0.60, p=0.002) also was associated with survival. For patients treated with TACE+sorafenib, multivariate analysis showed decreased hazard of death with longer duration of sorafenib treatment (HR=0.9, p<0.001). Thus, sorafenib plus TACE may provide survival benefits, which may be related with sorafenib treatment duration, particularly for patients with HCC recurrence. Further clinical studies are required to confirm these results and identify which patients are most likely to benefit from this therapeutic strategy.
Project description:BackgroundLocoregional treatment combined with systemic therapy is expected to play a synergistic anticancer role. We conducted this systemic meta-analysis to examine the efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) plus lenvatinib with or without programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) inhibitors (TLP group) compared with TACE + lenvatinib (TL group) for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC).MethodsFrom the inception date to April 2024, the data from PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Ovid, Web of Science, and Clinical Trials. gov were used for meta-analysis. All clinical outcomes of interest included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and adverse events (AEs). The hazard ratio (HR) and risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to measure the pooled effect.ResultsThis study included 10 retrospective cohort studies, including 1128 patients. The OS (HR=0.51; 95% CI: 0.43-0.60, P < 0.05), PFS (HR=0.52; 95% CI: 0.45-0.61, P < 0.05), ORR (RR = 1.58; 95% CI: 1.37-1.83; P < 0.05) and DCR (RR = 1.31; 95% CI: 1.20-1.43; P < 0.05) were significantly higher in TLP group than in the TL group. The incidence of AEs was acceptable. Prognostic factor analysis identified that ECOG PS (1/0), Child-Pugh class (B/A), BCLC stage (C/B) and main portal vein invasion (yes/no) were independent prognostic factors for OS. BCLC stage (C/B) and main portal vein invasion (yes/no) were independent prognostic factors for PFS.ConclusionThe TLP group had better efficacy for uHCC than that of the TL group, with acceptable safety.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO, identifier (CRD42023420093).
Project description:BackgroundSorafenib has been recommended as the first-line treatment and shown to prolong median overall survival (OS) of patients with advanced unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recently, a growing amount of research has supported the application of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with advanced-stage HCC. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of TACE and sorafenib and identify the prognostic factors related to OS for Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage C patients with PS 1 but without vascular invasion or extrahepatic spread.MethodsA total of 323 consecutive patients in BCLC stage C with PS 1 but without vascular invasion or extrahepatic spread were enrolled in this retrospective study. Survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier analysis, and the statistical differences between the TACE and sorafenib groups were examined by the log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to investigate the prognostic factors for OS.ResultsBased on the Kaplan-Meier curves, patients treated with TACE showed a better OS than those undergoing sorafenib, with respective OS at 1, 3, and 5 years (67.7%, 41.5%, 23.2% vs. 55.6%, 29.6%, 4.8%; log-rank P=0.002). The univariate analysis indicated that tumor size, tumor number, and treatment method, along with platelet (PLT), white blood cell (WBC), and α-fetoprotein (AFP) count, were associated with OS. The multivariate analysis demonstrated that tumor size, tumor number, and treatment method were significant prognostic factors for OS. According to the subgroups analyses based on the tumor size and tumor number, there were significant differences in OS among overall subsets between TACE and sorafenib therapy.ConclusionsTACE provided better prognostic performance than sorafenib and should be suggested as an alternative treatment modality to sorafenib for BCLC stage C patients with PS 1 but without vascular invasion or extrahepatic spread.
Project description:BackgroundSorafenib is used in patients with intermediate or advanced stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) before or after of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). However, the survival outcomes of TACE combined with sorafenib versus TACE alone remain controversial. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combination therapy of TACE plus sorafenib in patients with intermediate or advanced stage of HCC.MethodsPubmed and Embase databases were systematically reviewed for studies published up to November 2013, that compared TACE alone or in combination with sorafenib. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were calculated for overall survival (OS), time to progression (TTP), objective response rate (ORR), and progression free survival (PFS) using random-effects or fixed-effects model, depending on the heterogeneity between the included studies.ResultsSix studies published from 2011 to 2013, with a total of 1254 patients, were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled results showed that TACE combined with sorafenib significantly improved OS (HR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.47-0.89, P = 0.007), TTP (HR = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.52-0.87, P = 0.003), ORR (HR = 1.06; 95% CI: 1.01-1.12, P = 0.021), but did not affect PFS (HR = 0.84; 95% CI: 0.62-1.14, P = 0.267). The incidence of grade III/IV adverse reaction was higher in the TACE plus sorafenib group than in the TACE group.ConclusionsThe meta-analysis confirmed that the combination therapy of TACE plus sorafenib in patients with intermediate or advanced stage of HCC, can improve the OS, TTP, and ORR. This combination therapy was also associated with a significantly increased risk of adverse reactions.
Project description:Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common malignancy and the third most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Transarterial chemoembolization has shown survival benefits in patients with early to intermediate-stage HCC, becoming the standard of care and recommended treatment modality by most clinical practice guidelines. The most recent trials of the TACE plus sorafenib combined therapy in patients with unresectable HCC have yielded inconsistent outcomes. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of HCC patients treated with the TACE sorafenib combination as opposed to TACE monotherapy. This retrospective study included all patients with unresectable HCC who underwent liver transplantation and were treated by either TACE alone or TACE plus sorafenib between July 2008-December 2019. Demographic and clinical data as well as HCC recurrence post-liver transplant (LT) were reported as frequencies and proportions for categorical variables and as the median and interquartile range (IQR) or mean. Chi-square or Fisher's exact tests were performed for categorical variables and the Kruskal-Wallis test or unpaired test was performed for continuous variables. Kaplan-Meier curves present overall patient survival and HCC-free survival. A total of 128 patients received LT, with a median (IQR) age of 61.4 (57.0, 66.3) years; most were males (77%). Within the TACE-only group, 79 (77%) patients met the Milan criteria and 24 (23%) were beyond the Milan criteria, while the TACE plus sorafenib group had a higher proportion of patients beyond the Milan criteria: 16 (64%) vs. 9 (36%); p = 0.01. The five-year disease-free survival (DFS) between the treatment groups approached significance, with 100% DFS in the TACE plus sorafenib group vs. 67.2% in the TACE-alone group, p = 0.07. Five-year patient survival was 77.8% in the TACE plus sorafenib group compared to 61.5% in the TACE-alone group (p = 0.51). However, in patients who met the beyond Milan criteria, those who received TACE alone had a lower average amount of (percent) tumor necrosis on explant pathology (43.8% ± 32%) compared to patients who received TACE plus sorafenib (69.6% ± 32.8%, p = 0.03). This study identified that using TACE plus sorafenib is generally well-tolerated and demonstrated improved overall survival compared to TACE only in transplant recipients with unresectable HCC. A multi-center and prospective randomized controlled trial is needed to substantiate these findings.
Project description:AimsThe purpose of the present study was to compare the efficacies of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with sorafenib versus TACE monotherapy for treating patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).MethodsWe enrolled 321 patients and selected 280 with advanced HCC (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage C) who underwent TACE therapy between February 2009 and February 2013. TACE alone (monotherapy group) was administered to 198 patients (70.7%), and the remaining 82 (29.3%) underwent repeat combined TACE and sorafenib therapy (combined group). To minimize selection bias, these latter 82 patients were matched using propensity-score matching at a 1∶2 ratio with 164 patients who received TACE monotherapy. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and related subgroup analysis. The secondary endpoints were time to progression (TTP) and treatment-related adverse events.ResultsOf the respective patients in the combined and monotherapy groups, 64.6% and 49.2% had vascular invasion, 87.8% and 91.1% had extrahepatic metastasis, and 54.3% and 47.1% had both. In the propensity-score-matched cohort, the OS survival of the combined group was significantly higher compared with the monotherapy group (7.0 months vs. 4.9 months, respectively, P = 0.003). The TTP was significantly longer in the combined group (2.6 months vs. 1.9 months, respectively, P = 0.001). Subgroup analysis showed that the outcomes of patients with advanced HCC without main portal vein invasion who were treated with combined therapy were significantly better compared with those who received monotherapy (P<0.05). Univariate and subsequent multivariate analyses revealed that the addition of sorafenib was an independent predictor of favorable OS and TTP (adjusted hazard ratios, 0.63 and 0.62, respectively; P<0.05 for both).ConclusionSorafenib plus TACE was more effective than TACE monotherapy for treating patients with advanced HCC without main portal vein invasion. Future trials with larger samples are required to validate these preliminary findings.