ArticleClinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research2024
Safety and Preliminary Efficacy of Pembrolizumab Following Transarterial Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The PETAL Phase Ib Study.
Article in Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
25 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 23 citations in OpenAlex.
- Comparative efficacy of combination regimens based on interventional therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with intermediate- and advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and network meta-analysis.Cancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII · 2026Pooled it
- Safety and efficacy of PD-1 inhibitor (sintilimab) combined with transarterial chemoembolization as the initial treatment in patients with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma beyond up-to-seven criteria.Journal for immunotherapy of cancer · 2025Trial
- Functionalized biomaterial platforms for interventional embolization therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma.Bioactive materials · 2027Review
- Systemic treatment paradigms for unresectable and advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in Europe.The Lancet regional health. Europe · 2026Review
- A multicenter pilot study of nivolumab with drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization in patients with liver-limited hepatocellular carcinoma.ESMO gastrointestinal oncology · 2026Article
- Evolving Landscape of Systemic Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: From Targeted Therapy and Combination Strategies to Emerging Therapies.Biomedicines · 2026Review
- Efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with tislelizumab and tyrosine kinase inhibitors versus TACE for intermediate and advanced HCC.Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology · 2026Article
- The State of the Art in Combination Locoregional and Systemic Treatment Strategies for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Recent Advancements and Future Horizons.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2026Review
- Clinical efficacy and safety of drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization combined with targeted therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of intermediate-to-advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.Pakistan journal of medical sciences · 2026Article
- Peripheral blood biomarkers for predicting response to PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors.Biomarker research · 2026Review
- Advances in transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: Integration with systemic therapies and emerging treatment strategies.Cancer pathogenesis and therapy · 2026Review
- Current Perspectives on the Use of Adjuvant Pembrolizumab for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.Journal of hepatocellular carcinoma · 2026Review
- Integrating Combination Therapy and Smart Embolic Materials to Overcome the Therapeutic Ceiling of Transarterial Chemoembolization in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.Journal of hepatocellular carcinoma · 2026Review
- Local therapy overcomes primary resistance to target-immunotherapy combination in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.Cancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII · 2025Article
- Comprehensive Review of Transarterial Chemoembolization Plus Systemic Therapy in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma.Journal of gastrointestinal cancer · 2025Review
- Nanostrategies synergize with locoregional interventional therapies for boosting antitumor immunity.Bioactive materials · 2025Article
- Advances in Locoregional and Systemic Treatments for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.Gastroenterology · 2025Review
- Hepatocellular carcinoma systemic treatment update: From early to advanced stage.Biomedical journal · 2025Review
- Deep sequencing of circulating tumour DNA as a biomarker of clinical outcome to transarterial chemoembolisation in hepatocellular carcinoma.NPJ precision oncology · 2025Article
- New Scenarios in Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.Liver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
- Commented on by
Authors and funding
24 authors at 10 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
Abstract
purposeTransarterial chemoembolization (TACE) may prime adaptive immunity and enhance immunotherapy efficacy. PETAL evaluated safety, preliminary activity of TACE plus pembrolizumab and explored mechanisms of efficacy. PATIENTS AND
methodsPatients with liver-confined hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were planned to receive up to two rounds of TACE followed by pembrolizumab 200 mg every 21 days commencing 30 days post-TACE until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity for up to 1 year. Primary endpoint was safety, with assessment window of 21 days from pembrolizumab initiation. Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS) and evaluation of tumor and host determinants of response.
resultsFifteen patients were included in the safety and efficacy population: 73% had nonviral cirrhosis; median age was 72 years. Child-Pugh class was A in 14 patients. Median tumor size was 4 cm. Ten patients (67%) received pembrolizumab after one TACE; 5 patients after two (33%). Pembrolizumab yielded no synergistic toxicity nor dose-limiting toxicities post-TACE. Treatment-related adverse events occurred in 93% of patients, most commonly skin rash (40%), fatigue, and diarrhea (27%). After a median follow-up of 38.5 months, objective response rate 12 weeks post-TACE was 53%. PFS rate at 12 weeks was 93% and median PFS was 8.95 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 7.30-NE (not estimable)]. Median duration of response was 7.3 months (95% CI: 6.3-8.3). Median overall survival was 33.5 months (95% CI: 11.6-NE). Dynamic changes in peripheral T-cell subsets, circulating tumor DNA, serum metabolites, and in stool bacterial profiles highlight potential mechanisms of action of multimodal therapy.
conclusionsTACE plus pembrolizumab was tolerable with no evidence of synergistic toxicity, encouraging further clinical development of immunotherapy alongside TACE.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.