Systemic Treatment of Advanced Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma After First-Line Therapy: Expert Recommendations from Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan

This article evaluates the evidence and pro vides expert recommendations for the use of systemic therapies after first-line treatment in patients with advanced HCC. Summary: Based on three virtual meetings held in early 2021, a team of 17 experts comprising oncologists, a hepatologist and a hepatobiliary surgeon from Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan reviewed available data about systemic treatments for HCC after first line and formulated 28 statements. These statements aimed to provide expert guidance on the selecting first- and subsequent lines of therapies as well as recommend therapies in special circumstances, such as poor liver fun ction, post-transplantation, recent gastrointestinal bleeding or autoimmune diseases. Data supporting the statements were drawn from clinical trials and real-world studies. The 28 statements were then voted anonymously using a 5-point Likert scale, and 24 reached consensus, pre-defined as achieving 75% agreement. Statements generated covered the selection of first-line systemic therapy, considerations and goals of second-line systemic therapies, treatment selection following first-line therapy, and treatment recommendations following first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitors, immune-oncology monot herapy or immune-oncology combination therapy. The authors also shared expert opinion on the use of second-line systemic therapy in patients with liver dysfunction, liver transplantation, recent gastrointestinal or autoimmune disease. Key messages: The...
Source: Liver Cancer - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research