Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40606002›Full record

ArticleTherapeutic advances in medical oncology2025

Liver function dynamics in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor antibody/tyrosine kinase inhibitors with or without transarterial chemoembolization.

Chen-You Liu, Meng-Fan Wang, Xiao-Yang Xu, Hao-Dong Wu, Ze Wang, Shuai Zhang, Jian Shen, Xiao-Li Zhu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Therapeutic advances in medical oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 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

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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

8 authors.

Chen-You LiuDepartment of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0008-9710-8478
Meng-Fan WangDepartment of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7215-093X
Xiao-Yang XuDepartment of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8175-6902
Hao-Dong WuDepartment of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.
Ze WangDepartment of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.
Shuai ZhangDepartment of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.
Jian ShenDepartment of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.
Xiao-Li ZhuDepartment of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, No. 899 Pinghai Street, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215006, People's Republic of China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) antibody/tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been established. However, it remains unclear whether the addition of TACE to systemic therapies exacerbates liver function deterioration and increases mortality risk. Objectives: To assess liver function changes and their impact on prognosis in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with ICIs and anti-VEGF antibody/TKIs with or without TACE as first-line therapy. Design: This is a real-world retrospective cohort study. Methods: Patients with advanced HCC treated with TACE combined with ICIs and anti-VEGF antibody/TKIs (TACE-ICI-VEGF) or ICIs and anti-VEGF antibody/TKIs alone (ICI-VEGF) from January 2018 to June 2024 were retrospectively included. The primary outcomes were changes in albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score and time to deterioration (TTD) of liver function. The secondary outcomes included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and the relationship between TTD and prognosis. Results: A total of 111 patients were included, with 54 and 57 patients receiving TACE-ICI-VEGF and ICI-VEGF, respectively. Changes in ALBI score were similar between groups (difference in least squares mean, -0.075; 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.298 to 0.148). TTD was also comparable (median for TACE-ICI-VEGF 9.7 months vs. ICI-VEGF 8.5 months; hazard ratio (HR) = 1.19 (95% CI: 0.71-2.01); Conclusion: TACE combined with ICIs plus anti-VEGF antibodies/TKIs as first-line treatment generally did not adversely affect liver function. Liver function deterioration was associated with an increased risk of mortality.

Indexed as

albumin-bilirubin scorehepatocellular carcinomaliver functionsystemic therapiestransarterial chemoembolization

Identifiers

PMID40606002
PMCPMC12214317

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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.