Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41065864›Full record

ArticleCancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII2025

Local therapy overcomes primary resistance to target-immunotherapy combination in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Xiangqi Chen, Mingjian Piao, Zixiang Zhou, Shanshan Wang, Shuofeng Li, Nan Zhang, Boyu Sun, Kai Liu, Xu Yang, Xiaobo Yang and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
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

13 authors.

Xiangqi ChenState Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China.
Mingjian PiaoState Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China.
Zixiang ZhouEight-year Medical Doctor Program, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Shanshan WangState Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China.
Shuofeng LiState Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China.
Nan ZhangState Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China.
Boyu SunEight-year Medical Doctor Program, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Kai LiuState Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China.
Xu YangState Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China.
Xiaobo YangState Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China. yangxiaobo67@pumch.cn.
Xiaohua ShiEight-year Medical Doctor Program, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China. shixiaohua3762@foxmail.com.
Chengpei ZhuDepartment of General Surgery Center, Beijing Youan Hospital, Clinical Center for Liver Cancer, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. pumchzcp@126.com.
Haitao ZhaoState Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China. zhaoht@pumch.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo evaluate the characteristics and management of primary (PR) and acquired resistance (AR) to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) combination treatment in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). EXPERIMENTAL

designPatients with uHCC who received ICI combination therapy were retrospectively included. Baseline characteristics, pattern of progression, post-resistance management, and prognosis were recorded and analyzed according to resistance type. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS).

resultsA hundred and eighty-eight out of 262 patients (71.8%) developed resistance, including 35.1% with PR and 36.6% with AR. All AR developed within 2 years. Patients with AR had better general conditions, smaller tumors, fewer vessel invasion and better prognosis (median OS [mOS]: 25.8 vs. 8.63 months) than those with PR. Patients with AR were less likely to have multiple lesions and sites exhibiting progression. Occurrence of new lesions led to a decrease in OS in patients with PR but an increase in those with AR. Patients with either PR or AR receiving post-resistance anti-tumor treatment showed improved OS, but patients with AR had significantly longer OS than those with PR. The combination of subsequent local therapy (mOS 25.6 vs. 10.0 months) and changes in the ICI regimen (mOS 27.5 vs. 13.4 months) led to improved OS among patients with PR.

conclusionsAR normally develops within 2 years after the beginning of treatment. Patients with AR have better characteristics in general, less invasive pattens of progression, and better prognosis compared to those with PR. Subsequent local therapy and changes in ICI treatment showed potential to overcome primary resistance.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, HepatocellularDrug Resistance, NeoplasmImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsImmunotherapyLiver NeoplasmsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrognosisRetrospective StudiesImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsAcquired resistanceHepatocellular carcinomaImmune checkpoint inhibitorSequential therapySystemic therapy

Identifiers

PMID41065864
PMCPMC12511485

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Registered trials

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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.