Progress and consideration of immunotherapy strategy for hepatocellular carcinoma / 中华消化外科杂志

ABSTRACT

China has a large number of hepatocellular carcinoma patients, and more than half of the new cases and deaths of hepatocellular carcinoma in the world occur in China every year. The chemosensitivity of hepatocellular carcinoma is relatively low. Targeted therapy with antiangio-genic drugs are main treatment options for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, but the effective rate and survival prolonging effect are very limited. Recently immune checkpoint inhibitors have exhibited promising efficacy in hepatocellular carcinoma, which is changing the pattern of hepatocellular carcinoma treatment. However, challenges still exit. Biomarkers commonly used in clinical practice including programmed death ligand-1, tumor mutational burden and mismatch repair proteins have limited clinical value in hepatocellular carcinoma. Compared with other etiology related liver cancer, hepatitis B related hepatocellular carcinoma in China harbors unique gene mutation map, but the individualized treatment strategy based on molecular typing has not yet been established. More effective and diversified systematic treatment methods can promote the comprehensive treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma into a new era, and the relevant diagnosis and treatments need to be further explored and established. Based on relevant literatures and combined with clinical practices, the authors investigate the progress and consideration of immunotherapy strategy for hepatocellular carcinoma.