Open AccessImplications of Immunotherapy in Hepatobiliary Tumors
Author(s) -
Aline Gottlieb,
Jan Best,
Ali Canbay
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
visceral medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.598
H-Index - 17
eISSN - 2297-475X
pISSN - 2297-4725
DOI - 10.1159/000496755
Subject(s) - medicine , nivolumab , sorafenib , pembrolizumab , ipilimumab , immunotherapy , clinical trial , oncology , hepatocellular carcinoma , liver transplantation , refractory (planetary science) , cancer , intensive care medicine , surgery , transplantation , physics , astrobiology
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Upon ineligibility for resection, liver transplantation, or locoregional therapies, sorafenib has been the only systemic treatment option of advanced HCC for more than a decade. Immunotherapy is an evolving HCC treatment option that has shown promise in treatment efficacy at an acceptable safety profile during several preceding phase I/II trials. Numerous clinical trials of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs) alone, in combination of two, or combined with other targeted or locoregional therapies are ongoing. Encouraging results of two-phase III trials testing pembrolizumab or nivolumab versus standard care therapy even resulted in Food and Drug Administration approval for second-line treatment of advanced HCC. ICPIs may open new avenues to the treatment of hepatobiliary tumors, alone or in combination.