Combined treatment with iodine-125 (125I) seed strand and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) plus lenvatinib with anti-PD-1 antibodies in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) and portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT): Real-world experience in China.

Abstract

e16152 Background: We reviewed real-world outcomes for patients with uHCC and PVTT receiving TACE with 125I seed and stent implantation combined with lenvatinib plus anti-PD-1 antibodies. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records from 62 consecutive adult (≥18 to ≤75 years) patients with HBV-related HCC and type III and IV PVTT with Child-Pugh class A or B liver function and ECOG performance status of 0-2 who received 125I seed strand and stent implantation combined with TACE at our center between November 2018 and May 2020. Patients were divided into two groups; those who had received adjuvant lenvatinib plus anti-PD-1 inhibitors, initiated 3 days after the first interventional procedure (Group A; n=18), and those who only received locoregional therapy (Group B; n=44). Propensity score matching (PSM) with a 1:1 ratio was used to reduce selection bias. Tumor response, progression-free survival (PFS, time from the first interventional procedure to progression or death for both Group A and Group B) and time-to-progression (TTP) were assessed using the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST). Time to untreatable progression (TTUP) and overall survival (OS) were also assessed. Adverse events (AEs) were graded according to the Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v4.0. Results: PSM resulted in 15 matched pairs of patients, and baseline demographic parameters were comparable between the two groups. The median follow-up time was 12.4 ± 4.6 and 9.4 ± 4.8 months for patients in Groups A (n=15) and B (n=15) after PSM, respectively. Compared with patients in Group B, those in Group A had a higher overall response rate (66.7 vs. 18.2%; p=0.001) and disease control rate (72.2 vs. 43.2%; p=.038) and a longer median PFS, TTP, TTUP and OS (Table). No serious complications related to locoregional procedures were reported in either group. In Group A, 13% (n=2) of patients experienced ≥1 AE but the majority were Grade <3; one patient had Grade 2 hyperthyroidism and one had Grade 2 enteritis, which were both considered related to immunotherapy. Conclusions: These real-world data show that 125I seed strand and stent implantation combined with TACE plus adjuvant lenvatinib and anti-PD-1 antibodies led to better treatment responses and survival outcomes compared with locoregional treatment alone in patients with uHCC and PVTT, with an acceptable safety profile. Summary of survival outcomes in propensity score matched groups.[Table: see text]