Observational studyBMC surgery2025
Anti-PD-1 therapy for preventing recurrence and improving survival in hepatocellular carcinoma patients after hepatectomy.
Observational study in BMC surgery, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 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
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Based Adjuvant Treatment Versus Surveillance in Curatively Treated Hepatocellular Carcinoma: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology · 2026Pooled it
- Current Perspectives on the Use of Adjuvant Pembrolizumab for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.Journal of hepatocellular carcinoma · 2026Review
- Prognostic value of lymphatic vessel density in the capsule of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma: implications for postoperative recurrence risk.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
aimHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with a high recurrence rate after resection. This study investigates the efficacy of postoperative anti-PD-1 antibody therapy on overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in HCC patients, with a particular focus on those positive for vessels encapsulating tumor clusters (VETC), a marker of aggressive disease behavior and high recurrence risk.
methodsThis prospective observational study analyzed data from HCC patients who underwent curative liver resection between June 2015 and June 2022. Patients were divided into two groups based on postoperative anti-PD-1 antibody treatment. Propensity score matching (PSM) was employed to balance baseline characteristics. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to assess OS and RFS, while Cox regression models identified prognostic factors. Subgroup analyses focused on the impact of VETC status on treatment outcomes.
resultsA total of 388 patients were included, with 148 receiving anti-PD-1 therapy. Both OS and RFS were significantly improved in the anti-PD-1 group before and after PSM. Specifically, postoperative anti-PD-1 therapy yielded notably better survival outcomes in VETC-positive patients. In contrast, no significant difference in OS (HR = 0.74 [0.53-1.02], P = 0.069) or RFS (HR = 0.79 [0.56-1.12], P = 0.184) was observed between treatment groups among VETC-negative patients, indicating that VETC status may guide postoperative immunotherapy. Cox regression analysis identified VETC as a risk factor for OS and RFS in HCC patients, while anti-PD-1 therapy emerged as a protective factor for both outcomes, particularly for high-risk, VETC-positive patients.
conclusionsPostoperative anti-PD-1 therapy significantly improves OS and RFS in HCC patients, especially those with VETC positivity, highlighting its potential as an effective adjuvant treatment for high-risk patients. VETC may serve as a valuable prognostic biomarker, aiding in the development of postoperative immunotherapy strategies to improve long-term outcomes in HCC.
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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.