Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41178932›Full record

ArticleWorld journal of clinical oncology2025

Neoadjuvant immunotherapy in resectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A meta-analysis of the current evidence.

Ottavia Cicerone, Barbara Oliviero, Stefania Mantovani, Laura Maiocchi, Valentina Ravetta, Francesca Berton, Salvatore Corallo, Alessandro Vanoli, Marcello Maestri

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in World journal of clinical oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–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. Review
  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

9 authors.

Ottavia CiceroneDepartment of Clinical-Surgical, Diagnostic and Pediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy.
Barbara OlivieroDepartment of Translational and Clinical Research, Division of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia 27100, Italy.
Stefania MantovaniDepartment of Translational and Clinical Research, Division of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia 27100, Italy.
Laura MaiocchiInfectious Diseases 1 Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico S. Matteo, Pavia 27100, Italy.
Valentina RavettaDepartment of Surgery, Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia 27100, Italy.
Francesca BertonDepartment of Diagnostic Imaging, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia 27100, Italy.
Salvatore CoralloDepartment of Internal Medicine and Medical Therapy - Unit of Oncology, University of Pavia - Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia 27100, Italy.
Alessandro VanoliDepartment of Molecular Medicine- Anatomic Pathology Unit, University of Pavia - Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia 27100, Italy.
Marcello MaestriGeneral Surgery Unit I - Liver Service, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia 27100, Italy. m.maestri@smatteo.pv.it.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Despite improvements in surgical techniques and systemic therapies, long-term outcomes after liver resection are limited by high recurrence rates. While adjuvant strategies have shown limited benefit, the role of neoadjuvant immunotherapy in resectable HCC is still under investigation.

aimTo assess the efficacy, feasibility, and safety of neoadjuvant immunotherapy in resectable HCC through a meta-analysis of current literature.

methodsA systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Scopus for studies published in the past five years evaluating neoadjuvant immunotherapy in resectable HCC. Primary endpoints included major pathological response (MPR), pathological complete response (pCR), overall response rate (ORR), resection rate, and grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted using log odds ratios (ORs) and pooled event rates were calculated to provide absolute estimates of clinical endpoints.

resultsTwelve studies were included in the final analysis. The pooled ORs were 0.28 (95%CI: 0.19-0.41) for MPR, 0.54 (95%CI: 0.25-1.14) for ORR, 0.26 (95%CI: 0.11-0.66) for pCR, 5.37 (95%CI: 2.70-10.66) for resection rate, and 0.33 (95%CI: 0.22-0.50) for grade 3-4 TRAEs. Corresponding pooled event rates were 19% for MPR, 35% for ORR, 22% for pCR, 81% for resection feasibility, and 19% for severe TRAEs.

conclusionNeoadjuvant immunotherapy appears to be a feasible and safe approach in patients with resectable HCC, achieving moderate pathological responses and high resection rates.

Indexed as

Hepatocellular carcinomaImmune checkpoint inhibitorsLiver resectionNeoadjuvant immunotherapyPreoperative treatmentResectable hepatocellular carcinoma

Identifiers

PMID41178932
PMCPMC12576517

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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.