Trial reportBMC medicine2025
Transarterial chemoembolization plus apatinib for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase III trial.
Trial report in BMC medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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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
7 citing papers in PubMed.
- Trial
- Comparison of the efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization combined with different molecular targeted agents and/or immune checkpoint inhibitors for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Journal of gastrointestinal oncology · 2026Article
- Global Advances in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Research and Therapy in 2025.Cancer innovation · 2026Review
- Transforming a Roadblock into a Roadmap: Evolving HFSR Management From Adverse Event to Efficacy Biomarker.Current treatment options in oncology · 2026Review
- Real-world pharmacovigilance and molecular mechanisms of fruquintinib: SRC and STAT3 as potential off-target mediators of proteinuria.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Article
- TACE-HAIC plus TKIs with/without PD-1 inhibitors for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a propensity score matching study.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Article
- Targeting tumor vascular endothelial cells for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment.World journal of gastroenterology · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
22 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThis study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in combination with apatinib (TACE-apatinib) for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
methodsThis study was a multicenter, randomized, open-label, prospective, phase III trial. Patients with unresectable HCC were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either TACE-apatinib or TACE-alone treatment. Patients in the TACE-apatinib group began with a dosage of 500 mg/day of oral apatinib administered 4 days after the first TACE. The primary endpoint of this study was progression-free survival (PFS). The secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), time to untreatable (unTACEable) progression (TTUP), and safety assessment.
resultsFrom November 1, 2018 to November 18, 2021, a total of 196 patients were randomly assigned to either the TACE-apatinib (n = 86) or TACE-alone (n = 92) group. The median PFS in the TACE-apatinib group was significantly longer than that of in the TACE-alone group (6.1 months vs. 3.4 months, p < 0.0001). The median OS was significantly prolonged in the TACE-apatinib group compared to the TACE-alone group (28.9 months vs. 24.0 months, p = 0.0005). The median TTUP in the TACE-apatinib group was 26.8 months, which was significantly longer than that of 20.1 months in the TACE-alone group (p = 0.0003). A significantly higher ORR and DCR were observed in the TACE-apatinib group compared to the TACE-alone group (ORR: 58.1% vs. 31.5%, p < 0.001; DCR: 87.2% vs. 69.6%, p = 0.004). Most of the treatment-related adverse events were grades 1-2, and no treatment-related deaths were observed.
conclusionsApatinib significantly improved the treatment effects of TACE for patients with unresectable HCC. TACE-apatinib could serve as a promising treatment option for this patient population, offering notable survival benefits while maintaining an acceptable safety profile.
trial registrationChinese Clinical Trial Register, No. ChiCTR1800018621.
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