Current State of Immunotherapy for HCC —Supporting Data and Toxicity Management

AbstractPurpose of ReviewAfter having tyrosine kinase inhibitor as only available one drug class to treat advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for more than a decade, immunotherapy agents are now approved for second-line therapy and are currently being compared head-to-head with sorafenib for first-line treatment. It is becoming increasingly important for hepatologists to become aware of agents in development, potential adverse events, and suggested treatment monitoring.Recent FindingsNivolumab and pembrolizumab have both shown promising phase II data in the second-line setting for HCC and phase III data in both the first-line and second-line settings are anticipated soon. Durable responses of 15 –20% is seen as a potential breakthrough and may translate into improved survival for patients with advanced HCC. While immunotherapies are well tolerated overall, rare but serious immune-mediated adverse events are possible and warrant monitoring to facilitate early treatment when needed. There i s ongoing research of combinations with immunotherapy agents and other systemic agents and/or locoregional therapies to further enhance response rates.SummaryOngoing studies will define the role of immunotherapy for treatment of HCC, both as single agents as well as in combination with other therapies.
Source: Current Hepatitis Reports - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research