Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40129919›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in oncology2025

Immune checkpoint inhibitor plus tyrosine kinase inhibitor with or without transarterial chemoembolization for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hongyu Pan, Minghao Ruan, Riming Jin, Jin Zhang, Yao Li, Dong Wu, Lijie Zhang, Wen Sun, Ruoyu Wang

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Hongyu Pan *The First Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Minghao Ruan *The First Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Riming Jin *The First Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Jin ZhangThe First Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Yao LiThe First Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Dong WuThe First Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Lijie ZhangThe Department of Information, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Wen SunNational Center for Liver Cancer, The Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Ruoyu WangThe First Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background and aims: Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) has been combined with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based systemic therapies for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) with promising efficacy. However, whether the addition of TACE to the combination of ICI and tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) (ICI+TKI+TACE) is superior to ICI+TKI combination therapy is still not clear. Thus, this study compares the efficacy of ICI+TKI+TACE triple therapy and ICI+TKI doublet therapy in patients with uHCC. Methods: uHCC patients treated with either ICI+TKI+TACE triple therapy or ICI+TKI doublet therapy were retrospectively recruited between January 2016 and December 2021 at Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital. The patients from ICI+TKI+TACE group and ICI+TKI group were further subjected to propensity score matching (PSM). The primary outcome was progression-free survival (PFS). The secondary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and objective response rate (ORR). Post-progression survival (PPS) as well as treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were also assessed. Results: A total of 120 patients were matched. The median PFS was 8.4 months in ICI+TKI+TACE triple therapy group versus 6.6 months in ICI+TKI doublet therapy group (HR 0.72, 95%CI 0.48-1.08; Conclusions: The addition of TACE to ICI+TKI combination therapy did not result in a substantial improvement in efficacy and prognosis of patients. However, in selected uHCC patients (without preLRT or treated with lenvatinib as combination), ICI+TKI+TACE triple therapy may remarkably improve PFS.

Indexed as

combination therapyhepatocellular carcinomaimmune checkpoint inhibitorstranscatheter arterial chemoembolizationtyrosine kinase inhibitors

Identifiers

PMID40129919
PMCPMC11930818

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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.