Systemic treatment of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common histologic type among primary liver neoplasms, which are the second cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Resection, ablation, liver transplantation or transarterial chemoembolization can be used in some patients but majority of patients receive systemic treatment provided their performance status is good and liver function is preserved. Overall, 5-year survival remains low and in Europe is 12%. Since 2008 sorafenib was the only drug with proven survival improvement in the first-line treatment. Regorafenib and cabozantinib showed efficacy in second-line treatment. Recently published the results of IMbrave150 trial showed that combination of atezolizumab with bevacizumab is much more effective than sorafenib in the first-line treatment. These results of IMbrave150 study will most probably change a daily-practice entirely.