Bevacizumab combined with atezolizumab or sintilimab as second-line treatment in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: A retrospective study.

Authors

null

Leijuan Gan

Liver Cancer Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin; Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China;

Leijuan Gan , Huikai Li , Qiang Wu , Qiang Li , Yunlong Cui , Wei Zhang , Feng Fang , Wei Lu , Guangtao Li , Shaohua Ren , Yayue Liu , Mengran Lang , Ruyu Han , Tianqiang Song

Organizations

Liver Cancer Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin; Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China;

Research Funding

Other
This work is supported by the grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82173317)

Background: The combination of bevacizumab and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has demonstrated promising efficacy and safety in the first-line treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, this combination has not been examined in patients with previous first-line treatment of ICI and tyrosine kinase inhibitor. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness and safety of bevacizumab combined with atezolizumab or sintilimab as second-line treatment in patients with advanced HCC. Methods: The retrospective study included patients with advanced HCC who received combined therapy of bevacizumab and atezolizumab or sintilimab after failure of lenvatinib plus ICI between July 28, 2020 and March 7, 2022. Baseline patient characteristics were collected. Treatment response, overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were evaluated according to response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST) version 1.1. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Treatment-related adverse events were graded according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) Version 5.0. Results: A total of 20 patients with advanced HCC were included, with a median follow-up time of 11.05 (5.03-20.63) months. Eleven patients died by the last follow-up on August 12, 2022. There were 18 males (90%) and two females (10%). The average age was 59.9±12.08 years. Seven patients (35%) had distant metastasis, and nine (45%) had vascular invasion. Liver function was classified as Child-Pugh grade A in 17 patients (85%) and grade B in three (15%). Patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stages B, C and D were 1 (5%), 16 (80%) and 3 (15%), respectively. Eighteen patients (90%) had previous topical therapy. Of all patients previously administered lenvatinib plus ICI as first-line treatment, 14 (70%) had PFS longer than three months. ORR and DCR were 15% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.2-37.9) and 55% (95% CI, 31.5-76.9), respectively. Median OS was 8.00 months (95% CI, 0.00-16.66), while median PFS was 3.80 months (95% CI, 2.41-5.19). Adverse events were observed in 14 patients (70%). Adverse events of grade 3 or worse occurred in six patients (30%). Conclusions: The combination of bevacizumab with atezolizumab or sintilimab had tolerable safety profile but poor response in the second-line treatment of HCC. Despite the satisfying efficacy as first-line therapy, this combination is not a cost-effective recommendation for advanced HCC cases who failed the first-line treatment of lenvatinib plus ICI.

RECIST Version 1.1 (n=20)
PR, n (%)3 (15.0)
SD, n (%)8 (40.0)
PD, n (%)9 (45.0)
ORR (PR+CR), % (95% CI)15.0 (3.2-37.9)
DCR (PR+CR+SD), % (95% CI)55.0 (31.5-76.9)
PFS (month), Median (95% CI)3.80 (2.41-5.19)
OS (month), Median (95% CI)8.00 (0.00-16.66)

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2023 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Poster Session B: Cancers of the Pancreas, Small Bowel, and Hepatobiliary Tract

Track

Pancreatic Cancer,Hepatobiliary Cancer,Neuroendocrine/Carcinoid,Small Bowel Cancer

Sub Track

Therapeutics

Citation

J Clin Oncol 41, 2023 (suppl 4; abstr 544)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2023.41.4_suppl.544

Abstract #

544

Poster Bd #

C14

Abstract Disclosures