Sequential Systemic Treatment in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Is Able to Prolong Median Survival to More than 3 Years in a Selected Real-World Cohort

Introduction: The number of efficacious systemic agents for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has rapidly increased over the past 3 years. However, guidance for optimal sequential systemic treatment in patients with advanced disease and experience with outcome and safety profiles are lacking.

Objective: We aimed to assess efficacy and tolerability of sequential systemic therapy of advanced HCC.

Methods: Our single-center study prospectively followed 14 patients who received multiple, sequential systemic therapies after progression or intolerance to sorafenib. Endpoints were overall and progression-free survival (OS, PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAE).

Results: Patients had well-compensated liver function and good performance status at start of each systemic therapy. Agents included sorafenib (n = 14), regorafenib (n = 10), immunotherapy with nivolumab or pembrolizumab (n = 10), lenvatinib (n = 3), ramucirumab (n = 2), and others, with a median of 3 lines of systemic therapy per patient. Median OS was 37.4 months from initiation of first-line therapy with sorafenib. PFS and ORR for sorafenib, regorafenib, and immunotherapy were 6.6, 5.3, and 6.6 months, and 15.4, 11.1, and 22.2%, respectively. TEAE were frequent (46-80%), but mostly manageable during tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy and without the need for termination in most patients. However, TEAE due to immunotherapy (60%) led to cessation of treatment in 40% of the patients.

Conclusions: Sequential systemic therapy is able to prolong median OS in selected patients with advanced HCC to more than 3 years. TEAE are frequent, but manageable, and the quality of adverse events depends on the respective agent. Further investigation of potential predictive biomarkers for treatment allocation is needed.