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Cancer treatment

Breakthrough in Liver Cancer Treatment: Conversion Therapy Showcases Improved Therapeutic Effect

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Researchers at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, People's Republic of China, have made significant discoveries in the field of liver cancer treatment. The study, published in Liver Cancer, aimed to evaluate the outcomes of patients with initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who received transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE)/hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (HAIC)-based combination therapy. The research found that 20.9% of patients were able to undergo liver resection after receiving conversion therapy, resulting in promising outcomes, including a pathological complete response rate of 31.7% and a 100% R0 resection rate. Notably, patients who underwent surgery after conversion therapy had significantly longer median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) compared to those who did not.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study included 301 initially unresectable HCC patients who received TACE/HAIC-based combination therapy between January 2019 and December 2021.
  • The conversion rate to resection was 20.9% (63/301), with a higher rate among Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage A patients (29/76) and stage C patients (23/132).
  • Patients who underwent surgery achieved a pathological complete response rate of 31.7% and a 100% R0 resection rate.
  • Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that patients who had successful surgery after conversion therapy had significantly longer median OS (not reached vs. 58.5 months) and PFS (42.83 months vs. 9.7 months) compared to those who did not.
  • The study concluded that more patients who undergo liver resection following conversion resection have significantly better long-term survival than those who do not.
  • Additional authors for the research include Shuirong Lin, Peizhe Chen, Xi Yu, Wenxuan Xie, Yunpeng Hua, Shaoqiang Li, Shunli Shen, and Ming Kuang.

Statistics:

  • 20.9% of patients were able to undergo liver resection after receiving conversion therapy (63/301).
  • Pathological complete response rate: 31.7% (20/63).
  • R0 resection rate: 100% (20/20).
  • Median overall survival (OS) among patients who underwent surgery after conversion therapy: not reached.
  • Median overall survival (OS) among patients who did not undergo surgery: 58.5 months.
  • Median progression-free survival (PFS) among patients who underwent surgery after conversion therapy: 42.83 months.
  • Median progression-free survival (PFS) among patients who did not undergo surgery: 9.7 months.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Findings on Liver Cancer Detailed by Researchers at First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University (Conversion Therapy Based on TACE/HAIC-Based Treatment to Improve the Therapeutic Effect of Initially Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma). Cancer Weekly. October 21, 2025; p 664.
  • Liver Cancer, 2025:1-31.
  • Karger. (www.karger.com/)
  • Liver Cancer. (content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Aktion=JournalHome&ProduktNr=255487)

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