Advances in novel systemic therapies for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents the most frequent type of primary liver tumor. Most HCC patients present with advanced disease at diagnosis and the recurrence rate after surgery remains high. Treatment options for advanced HCC are limited, with sorafenib representing the only systemic agent approved for treatment of advanced HCC in more than a decade. However, in recent years new molecular targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of advanced HCC. In particular, combinations of ICIs with antiangiogenic drugs, or with other ICIs, represent one of the most promising strategies. Herein we provide a comprehensive overview of the main therapeutic advances in the systemic treatment of HCC, focusing on the most relevant ongoing clinical trials.

Keywords: VEGF; atezolizumab; bevacizumab; hepatocellular carcinoma; immune checkpoint inhibitor; multikinase inhibitor; relatlimab; tislelizumab.