Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death, with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection being a key determinant. For unresectable HCC, most of the patients present intermediate- or advance-stage HCC (BCLC B and C), which requires chemoembolization, radioembolization, or systemic treatment. In 2020, a combination with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab was superior to first-line sorafenib in unresectable HCC, with more than doubled this life expectancy. Currently, targeted agents alone (e.g., sorafenib, Lenvatinib) and targeted agents combined with PD-1 inhibitors (e.g., atezolizumab + bevacizumab, carrelizumab + apatinib) are both the first-line recommended treatment in advanced HCC.
In addition, new combinations of systemic and locoregional treatment have also become a new academic hot spot for unresectable HCC. Previous research showed that TACE-apatinib treatment reduced the 50% mortality compared with TACE alone for unresectable HCC with macroscopic vascular invasion. However, we still do not know which subgroup of patients will benefit from these systemic therapies or their combinations. Predictive Biomarkers or models (e.g., CRAFITY score) are urgent to identify for choosing the proper patients.
We welcome submissions of Original Research, Review, and Mini Review articles, Methods, and Systematic Reviews, covering but not limited to the followings:
1. Biomarkers or predictive models in down-staging (conversion)/neoadjuvant treatment based on systemic or combination therapy.
2. Predictive markers of efficacy for systemic or combination therapy as first-line treatment.
3. Exploration of predictive markers of sequential second-line treatments following standard first-line treatments.
Please note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this section and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death, with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection being a key determinant. For unresectable HCC, most of the patients present intermediate- or advance-stage HCC (BCLC B and C), which requires chemoembolization, radioembolization, or systemic treatment. In 2020, a combination with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab was superior to first-line sorafenib in unresectable HCC, with more than doubled this life expectancy. Currently, targeted agents alone (e.g., sorafenib, Lenvatinib) and targeted agents combined with PD-1 inhibitors (e.g., atezolizumab + bevacizumab, carrelizumab + apatinib) are both the first-line recommended treatment in advanced HCC.
In addition, new combinations of systemic and locoregional treatment have also become a new academic hot spot for unresectable HCC. Previous research showed that TACE-apatinib treatment reduced the 50% mortality compared with TACE alone for unresectable HCC with macroscopic vascular invasion. However, we still do not know which subgroup of patients will benefit from these systemic therapies or their combinations. Predictive Biomarkers or models (e.g., CRAFITY score) are urgent to identify for choosing the proper patients.
We welcome submissions of Original Research, Review, and Mini Review articles, Methods, and Systematic Reviews, covering but not limited to the followings:
1. Biomarkers or predictive models in down-staging (conversion)/neoadjuvant treatment based on systemic or combination therapy.
2. Predictive markers of efficacy for systemic or combination therapy as first-line treatment.
3. Exploration of predictive markers of sequential second-line treatments following standard first-line treatments.
Please note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this section and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.