Hyperprogressive disease during atezolizumab plus bevacizumab treatment in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma from Japanese real-world practice.

Background: Hyperprogressive disease (HPD) is a phenomenon with greatly accelerated tumor growth and clinical deterioration rates compared to pre-therapy, in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). The aim of this study is to clarify the reality of HPD in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who were treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atez/Bev) using tumor dynamics.

Methods: Medical records of consecutive patients with advanced HCC who were treated with Atez/Bev were retrospectively reviewed.

Clinical effects and emerging issues of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma from Japanese real-world practice.

Background: Although the efficacy of atezolizumab has been demonstrated in randomized controlled trials, its long-term efficacy and association with adverse events in real-world practice are unknown. This study was designed to shed light on these issues.

Methods: In this multicenter retrospective study, data were collected from patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab in seven institutions in Japan.

Posttreatment after Lenvatinib in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: There is no standard posttreatment for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in whom lenvatinib therapy has failed. This study aimed to investigate rates of migration to posttreatment after lenvatinib and to explore candidates for second-line agents in the patients with failed lenvatinib therapy.

Methods: We retrospectively collected data on patients with advanced HCC who received lenvatinib as the first-line agent in 7 institutions.

Potential of Lenvatinib for an Expanded Indication from the REFLECT Trial in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: The present study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of lenvatinib and verify the possibility of lenvatinib for the expanded indication from the REFLECT trial in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in real-world practice, primarily focusing on the population that was excluded in the REFLECT trial.

Methods: We retrospectively collected data on patients with advanced HCC who were administered lenvatinib in 7 institutions in Japan.

Results: Of 152 advanced HCC patients, 95 and 57 patients received lenvatinib in first-line and second- or later-line systemic therapies, respectively.

Sequential therapy with sorafenib and regorafenib for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: a multicenter retrospective study in Japan.

Background Conversion from sorafenib to regorafenib is primarily an evidence-based treatment strategy in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of sequential therapy with sorafenib and regorafenib in patients with advanced HCC by analysis of outcomes in clinical practice with the aim to complement phase III findings. Methods The medical records of patients with advanced HCC receiving regorafenib were retrieved to collect data on sorafenib administration at seven Japanese institutions.

Bmi1 promotes hepatic stem cell expansion and tumorigenicity in both Ink4a/Arf-dependent and -independent manners in mice.

Unlabelled: We previously reported that forced expression of Bmi1 (B lymphoma Moloney murine leukemia virus insertion region 1 homolog) in murine hepatic stem/progenitor cells purified from fetal liver enhances their self-renewal and drives cancer initiation. In the present study, we examined the contribution of the Ink4a/Arf tumor suppressor gene locus, one of the major targets of Bmi1, to stem cell expansion and cancer initiation. Bmi1(-/-) Delta-like protein (Dlk)(+) hepatic stem/progenitor cells showed de-repression of the Ink4a/Arf locus and displayed impaired growth activity.

The polycomb gene product BMI1 contributes to the maintenance of tumor-initiating side population cells in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Side population (SP) cell analysis and sorting have been successfully applied to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines to identify a minor cell population with cancer stem cell properties. However, the molecular mechanisms operating in SP cells remain unclear. The polycomb gene product BMI1 plays a central role in the self-renewal of somatic stem cells in a variety of tissues and organs and seems to be implicated in tumor development.