Continuing anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody after secondary resection significantly prolongs overall survival for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who were responsive to first-line anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody plus chemotherapy doublet.

The combination of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibodies (mAb) and doublet chemotherapy is the standard first-line treatment for patients with wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Some patients may require secondary resection after first-line treatment. However, it remains unclear whether targeted therapy should be continued after liver resection.

Hepatic SIRT6 protects against cholestatic liver disease primarily inhibiting bile acid synthesis.

Cholestatic liver disease, caused by the accumulation of hazardous bile acids in the liver, may result in cirrhosis, fibrosis, or liver failure. Activation of SIRT6 prevents cholestasis-associated pathological events, such as oxidative stress and mitochondrial biogenesis disorders, and inhibits bile acid synthesis to alleviate cholestatic liver injury. However, it is still uncertain which pathway is responsible for the therapeutic effect of SIRT6 in reducing cholestasis.

Impact of Bevacizumab Being Skipped due to Adverse Events of Special Interest for Bevacizumab in Patients with Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Atezolizumab plus Bevacizumab: An Exploratory Analysis of the Phase III IMbrave150 Study.

Introduction: The phase III IMbrave150 study established atezolizumab + bevacizumab as the global standard of care in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This exploratory analysis examined the impact of bevacizumab interruption due to bevacizumab adverse events of special interest (AESIs).

Methods: Patients in IMbrave150 who were randomized to atezolizumab + bevacizumab and received treatment for ≥6 months (to reduce immortal time bias) were included in group A-1 if bevacizumab had ever been skipped due to bevacizumab AESIs or to group A-2 otherwise.

Cyclin dependent kinase 9 inhibition reduced programmed death-ligand 1 expression and improved treatment efficacy in hepatocellular carcinoma.

The anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibody is a standard therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Tumor expression of PD-L1 can be induced upon stimulus. Because cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) inhibition reduces the expression of inducible proteins, we explored the influence of CDK9 inhibition on PD-L1 expression in HCC cells.

Changes in Posttreatment Spleen Volume Associated with Immunotherapy Outcomes for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Purpose: We investigated whether spleen volume (SV) changes were associated with treatment outcomes in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients who received immunotherapy or first-line sorafenib.

Patients And Methods: Patients with advanced HCC who underwent immunotherapy or first-line sorafenib at our institute were retrospectively analyzed. CT was used to measure SV before and within 3 months of treatment initiation.

Different immune contextures underlie tumor site-specific responses to immune checkpoint blockade in esophageal cancer.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have demonstrated efficacy in advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Heterogeneous responses to ICIs have been reported previously. Here, we describe a patient with advanced ESCC exhibiting a response to durvalumab plus tremelimumab for more than 6 months except primary resistant esophageal tumor.

Treatment outcome comparisons of first-line targeted therapy in patients with KRAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer: A nationwide database study.

Background: The first-line systemic therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is a combination of one targeted therapy agent and a chemotherapy doublet. Whether bevacizumab or anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) monoclonal antibody (mAb) is the more effective addition to a chemotherapy doublet as the first-line treatment for inoperable KRAS wild-type mCRC remains controversial in prior clinical trials. Moreover, the association between the sidedness of primary tumors and the efficacy of anti-EGFR mAb needs to be addressed.

Artificial intelligence-based immunoprofiling serves as a potentially predictive biomarker of nivolumab treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have been applied in treating advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC) patients, but few patients exhibit stable and lasting responses. Moreover, identifying aHCC patients suitable for ICI treatment is still challenged. This study aimed to evaluate whether dissecting peripheral immune cell subsets by Mann-Whitney U test and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms could serve as predictive biomarkers of nivolumab treatment for aHCC.

Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 9 Inhibition as a Potential Treatment for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Purpose: Composite cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibition has shown potential as a treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in preclinical studies. We tested whether the specific inhibition of CDK9 was effective against HCC.

Methods: The effects of two specific CDK9 inhibitors, BAY1143572 and AZD4573, in HCC cell lines were examined.

Expanding Sorafenib Treatment for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Beyond Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Stage C Patients: A National Study.

Background/aim: The reimbursement criteria of sorafenib for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were expanded in 2016 by Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) to include patients without macrovascular invasion or extrahepatic spread. This study explored sorafenib treatment outcomes before and after this expansion.

Patients And Methods: The NHI database was searched for patients who initiated sorafenib treatment between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2017.

Prognosis and treatment pattern of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma after failure of first-line atezolizumab and bevacizumab treatment.

Background: The combination of atezolizumab and bevacizumab (Atezo-Bev) has become the standard first-line therapy for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the prognosis and treatment pattern after its treatment failure are unclear.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of patients who failed first-line Atezo-Bev treatment for advanced HCC from January 2018 to May 2021 in four Taiwan medical centers. Post-first-line survival (PFLS) was defined as the date from the failure of Atezo-Bev treatment to the date of death or last follow-up.

Sarcopenia and myosteatosis are associated with survival in patients receiving immunotherapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objectives: To investigate the association of sarcopenia, myosteatosis, and sarcopenic obesity with survival outcomes among patients who underwent immunotherapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: In this retrospective analysis, patients who initiated immunotherapy for advanced HCC were enrolled. Sarcopenia and myosteatosis were evaluated on pretreatment CT at L3 level by skeletal muscle index and mean muscle attenuation using predefined cutoff values.

ICOS-Positive Regulatory T Cells in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Perspective from Digital Pathology Analysis.

Introduction: Inducible co-stimulator (ICOS), an important co-stimulatory receptor on effector T cells (Teffs), may also contribute to tumor growth due to its high expression on regulatory T cells (Tregs). This study explored the clinical significance of ICOS-expressing Tregs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Tumor tissues from HCC patients who received curative hepatectomy were obtained at a referral center.

Low miR-10b-3p associated with sorafenib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Sorafenib is one of the standard first-line therapies for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Unfortunately, there are currently no appropriate biomarkers to predict the clinical efficacy of sorafenib in HCC patients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been studied for their biological functions and clinical applications in human cancers.

Association of annexin A10 expression with poor prognosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Background: Annexin A10 expression influences the prognosis of several gastrointestinal cancers. We explored the association of annexin A10 expression with the overall survival (OS) of patients who underwent curative surgery for cholangiocarcinoma.

Methods: Patients who underwent curative surgery for cholangiocarcinoma (except gallbladder cancer) and had pathological stage T1-3N0M0 disease were enrolled.

Anti-PD-1 combined sorafenib versus anti-PD-1 alone in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular cell carcinoma: a propensity score-matching study.

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a role in the tumor microenvironment. Sorafenib, which inhibits the VEGF pathway, has an immune-modulation function but lacks substantial clinical data. This study aims to explore the efficacy of anti-PD-1 combined sorafenib in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Revisiting Hepatic Artery Infusion Chemotherapy in the Treatment of Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) is a well-established and common treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), particularly in East Asia. However, HAIC is not recognized internationally. Although several trials have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of HAIC, evidence corroborating its overall survival (OS) benefits compared with standard treatments is insufficient.

Limited Predictive or Prognostic Role of Tumor-Infiltrating Tissue-Resident Memory CD8 T Cells in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Receiving Immunotherapy.

Purpose: Tumor-infiltrating tissue-resident memory CD8 T cells (CD8 T; CD103+ CD8+) are considered tumor-specific and may correlate better with the tumor response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). This study evaluated the association of tumor-infiltrating CD8 T and their subsets with the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Experimental Design: Consecutive HCC patients who received ICB in prospective trials were analyzed.

Impact of expanded strong opioid availability on opioid prescription patterns in patients with cancer: A population-wide cohort study in Taiwan.

One of the major barriers to adequate cancer pain management in Taiwan is the limited prescription options regarding strong opioids. Internationally recommended strong opioids, including oxycodone and hydromorphone, were not introduced in Taiwan until late 2014. We analysed the patterns in opioid prescription for cancer pain management, after the introduction of new opioid options.

Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced and Intravoxel Incoherent Motion MRI Biomarkers Are Correlated to Survival Outcome in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Objective: This study assessed dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI and intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM DWI) parameters to prospectively predict survival outcomes in participants with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who received lenalidomide, a dual antiangiogenic and immunomodulatory agent, as second-line therapy in a Phase II clinical trial.

Materials And Methods: Forty-four participants with advanced HCC who had progression after sorafenib as first-line treatment were prospectively enrolled. Pretreatment MRI parameters-obtained from DCE-MRI (peak, slope, AUC, K, K, and V), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and IVIM DWI (pure diffusion coefficient (D), pseudodiffusion coefficient (D*), and perfusion fraction (f))-were derived from the largest hepatic tumor.

as a Prognostic Biomarker and Potential Therapeutic Target for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: The kinesin , a mitosis-associated protein, is overexpressed in many cancers. Here we explored the clinical significance of in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: HCC tissues from surgical resection were collected.