Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38825875›Full record

ArticleJournal of liver cancer2024

Cure can be achieved by conversion to microwave ablation following atezolizumab-bevacizumab therapy in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Rene John D Febro, Engelbert Simon S Perillo, Akemi A Kimura, Stephen N Wong

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Article in Journal of liver cancer, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Rene John D FebroSection of Gastroenterology, University of Santo Tomas Hospital, Manila, Philippines.
Engelbert Simon S PerilloSection of Gastroenterology, University of Santo Tomas Hospital, Manila, Philippines.
Akemi A KimuraSection of Gastroenterology, University of Santo Tomas Hospital, Manila, Philippines.
Stephen N WongSection of Gastroenterology, University of Santo Tomas Hospital, Manila, Philippines.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUNDS/

aimsAtezolizumab/bevacizumab is the recommended first-line systemic therapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) and may facilitate curative conversion through resection and locoregional therapies. However, there have been very few reports on curative conversion using microwave ablation (MWA). This study aimed to determine the curative conversion rate with MWA using atezolizumab-bevacizumab as the first-line treatment in patients with uHCC, and to compare the characteristics and survival of patients with and without curative conversion.

methodsConsecutive patients with uHCC who were started on atezolizumab-bevacizumab from May 2021 to December 2023 in a single tertiary center were included. Objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were based on the Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 and modified RECIST (mRECIST) criteria.

resultsTwenty consecutive patients with uHCC (60% advanced-stage) were included, 90% exceeding the up-to-7 criteria. The ORR and DCR were 35% and 60%, 35% and 55% using RECIST and mRECIST, respectively. Five patients (25%) underwent successful curative conversion with MWA (four advanced and one intermediate stage) despite a median HCC size of 6.1 cm (range, 2.4-7.3). Two of these patients were tumor and drug-free 132-133 weeks from the 1st atezolizumab-bevacizumab dose. Patients who underwent curative conversion had significantly longer survival than those who did not (P=0.024). Other factors associated with survival were male sex, Child-Pugh class A, and an objective response.

conclusionsDespite the relatively large tumor size, successful curative conversion with MWA was achieved with first-line atezolizumab-bevacizumab in uHCC. However, data from prospective multicenter trials are required to determine whether this strategy is universally applicable.

Indexed as

CombinationImmune checkpoint inhibitorsLocoregional therapyMicrowave ablationTyrosine kinase inhibitors

Identifiers

PMID38825875
PMCPMC11449580

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