EASL-EORTC clinical practice guidelines : management of hepatocellular carcinoma

https://aasldpubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/hep.24199

Management of hepatocellular carcinoma: An update

Since the publication of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) practice guidelines on the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in 2005, new information has emerged that requires that the guidelines be updated. The full version of the new guidelines is available on the AASLD Web site at http://www.aasld.org/practiceguidelines/ Documents/Bookmarked%20Practice%20Guidelines/ HCCUpdate2010.pdf. Here, we briefly describe only new or changed recommendations.

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AASLD PRACTICE GUIDELINE Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Update

Lenvatinib versus sorafenib in first-line treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a randomised phase 3 non-inferiority trial

Nivolumab in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (CheckMate 040): an open-label, non-comparative, phase 1/2 dose escalation and expansion trial

Objective The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy and safety of lenvatinib as second-line therapy in Chinese patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of Chinese patients with unresectable HCC who received second-line treatment of lenvatinib at three institutions from November 2018 to February 2022. Demographic and clinicopathologic characteristics, data on the treatment regimens were obtained from medical records. Tumor response was evaluated every 4-6 weeks by modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST). Results In total, 50 patients with unresectable HCC who received second-line treatment of lenvatinib were enrolled in this study. The objective response rate (ORR) was 18.0% and the disease control rate (DCR) was 74.0%, respectively. The duration of response (DoR) was 6.0 months. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 5.0 and 8.5 months, respectively. Patients who received ICIs combined with anti-angiogenic inhibitors as first-line therapy, achieving CR/PR at first-line therapy, with PFS≥6months at first-line therapy had a higher DCR. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that AFP (ng/ml)<400, absence of extrahepatic metastasis, Child-Pugh A, tumor number<3, ICIs combined with anti-angiogenic inhibitors as first-line therapy, CR/PR to first-line therapy, and PFS≥6months at first-line therapy were independent factors of favorable PFS. Univariate analysis showed that absence of extrahepatic metastasis, tumor number<3, ICIs combined with anti-angiogenic inhibitors as first-line therapy, and PFS≥6months at first-line therapy were significantly associated with longer OS. Multivariate analysis showed that absence of extrahepatic metastasis, Child-Pugh A, tumor number<3, CR/PR to first-line therapy and PFS≥6months at first-line therapy were independent prognostic factors of OS. The majority of AEs were grade 1-2, and were reversible. Grade 3/4 AEs occurred in 12 patients (24.0%) and were mostly connected with hand-foot skin reactions (10.0%), and 10 patients had lenvatinib dose reductions. Two toxicity-related treatment interruptions were attributed to grade 3 hand-foot skin reaction, and grade 4 proteinuria, respectively. Conclusion This study confirms the efficacy and safety of lenvatinib as second-line therapy after progression on sorafenib or ICIs combined with anti-angiogenic inhibitors.

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Lenvatinib as second-line treatment in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A retrospective analysis

Deterioration of inhibitory synapse may be an essential neurological basis underlying abnormal social behaviours. Manipulations that regulate GABAergic transmission are associated with improved behavioural phenotypes in sociability. The synaptic protein, Ephrin-B2 (EB2), plays an important role in the maintenance and reconfiguration of inhibitory synapses in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). However, the inhibitory cell-type specific role of EB2 in the pathophysiology and treatment of social deficits remains unknown. As expected, we revealed that tdTomato-expressing cells were only found in GABAergic neurons instead of excitatory neurons in transgenic EB2-vGATCre mice. This result indicated that depletion of EB2 would occur in those neurons, which further contribute to social deficits. In addition, specific over-expression of mPFC EB2 restored the defective social behaviour abnormalities. These results suggest that the effect of EB2 on social deficits is anatomically and cell-type specific. More importantly, the global upregulation of HDAC4 expression was found in EB2-vGATCre mice. Significant subcellular nuclear shuttling of HDAC4 in vGAT+ neurons was examined and quantified, suggesting a role of nuclear HDAC4 in mediating the mechanism underlying EB2 impairment in vGAT+ neurons. Treatment with LMK235 led to a remarkable rescue of social deficits, thus our data revealed a new domain for the potential utility of HDAC targeting agents to treat social deficits. In conclusion, these results not only revealed a novel molecular mechanism underlying the pathophysiology of social deficits, but also suggested a potential intervention avenue for the treatment of social deficits. 

Histone deacetylase 4 inhibition ameliorates the social deficits induced by Ephrin-B2 mutation

9510 Background: NRAS-mutant melanoma is an aggressive subtype with worse prognosis. However, no targeted therapy has been approved to date worldwide. Tunlametinib (HL-085), a novel, potent, selective, oral small-molecule MEK1/2 inhibitor, has showed a favorable pharmacokinetics profile, acceptable tolerability and encouraging antitumor activity in the phase 1 study (BMC Med. 2023 Jan 4;21(1):2). Methods: This is an ongoing, multicenter, open-label, single-arm, phase 2 pivotal registration study. Patients (pts) with NRAS-mutant unresectable stage III or IV melanoma were enrolled and received tunlametinib 12 mg orally twice daily. A historical control of objective response rate (ORR) of 10% was predefined for sample size estimation (100 pts, assuming loss to follow-up rate of 5%) and efficacy evaluation. The primary endpoint was the confirmed ORR per RECIST v1.1 assessed by independent radiology review committee. Results: A total of 100 pts were enrolled. All pts were included in the safety analysis set and 95 pts were included in the full analysis set (FAS) for efficacy analysis. At cut-off date (August 17, 2022), median follow-up was 7.9 months (95% CI: 6.6, 9.8). In the FAS, the median age was 58.0 years (range: 24 to 84). Sixty-four pts (67.4%) had received prior immunotherapy (PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor). Fifty-six pts (58.9%) were acral melanoma, 16 (16.8%) mucosal melanoma and 12 (12.6%) skin melanoma. Fourteen pts (14.7%) were stage III and 81 (85.3%) stage IV. The most frequent NRAS mutation types were Q61R (40.0%), Q61K (29.5%) and G12D (9.5%). Confirmed ORR was 34.7% (95%CI: 25.3%, 45.2%). Median progression-free survival was 4.2 months (95%CI: 3.5, 5.6), overall survival was immature, and 1-year survival rates was 57.2% (95% CI, 44.7%, 67.8%). Subgroup analysis showed that, in pts who had previously received immunotherapy, the confirmed ORR was 39.1% (95% CI: 27.1%, 52.1%). The most frequent treatment related adverse events (TRAEs) were increased blood creatine phosphokinase (CK), diarrhea, peripheral oedema, facial oedema and increased aspartate aminotransferase. Grade ≥3 TRAEs occurred in 68 pts (68.0%), of which 38.0% (38/100) were increased blood CK. Most of pts with CK elevation are asymptomatic and can be managed by dose interruption or reduction without permanent treatment discontinuation. No treatment-related death was reported. Conclusions: Tunlametinib was well tolerated and demonstrated encouraging treatment response rate in pts with advanced NRAS-mutant melanoma. These results indicate that tunlametinib could be a promising treatment option for NRAS-mutant melanoma, even for those immunotherapy failed pts. Clinical trial information: NCT05217303 .

Efficacy and safety of tunlametinib in patients with advanced NRAS-mutant melanoma: A multicenter, open-label, single-arm, phase 2 study.

Survival is generally poor for Chinese patients with advanced melanoma because of high rates of acral and mucosal melanoma and limited therapeutic options. The first analysis of the phase 1b KEYNOTE-151 study showed second-line pembrolizumab was well tolerated and had clinically meaningful antitumor activity in Chinese patients with advanced melanoma. Three-year follow-up is presented. Eligible patients were of Chinese descent and had unresectable stage III/IV melanoma that progressed after first-line therapy. Patients received pembrolizumab 2 mg/kg every 3 weeks for ≤35 cycles. Primary end points were safety and objective response rate (ORR). Secondary end points included duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Response was assessed per RECIST v1.1 by blinded independent central review. Subgroup analyses were conducted by melanoma subtype and BRAF and PD-L1 status (acral melanoma only). 103 patients were enrolled; median follow-up duration (time from first dose to data cutoff [July 13, 2020]) was 44.6 months (IQR, 39.1–46.2). Any-grade treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 85.4% of patients, and grade 3/4 TRAEs in 12.6%. No grade 5 TRAEs occurred. Three patients discontinued pembrolizumab because of TRAEs (immune-mediated hepatitis, pneumonia, and arthritis). Immune-mediated AEs and infusion reactions occurred in 34.0% (grade 3/4, 2.9%). ORR was 17.6% (95% CI, 10.8–26.4; 1 complete response/17 partial responses), and median DOR was 13.8 months (range, 2.7–37.4+). Median PFS was 2.8 months (95% CI, 2.7–3.5) and 36-month PFS rate was 5.0%. Median OS was 13.2 months (95% CI, 10.4–16.5) and 36-month OS rate was 22.3%. Median OS for patients with known melanoma subtype was 14.8 months for acral, 13.5 months for nonacral cutaneous, and 7.4 months for mucosal melanoma. Among the acral subgroup, median OS was 22.8 months for PD-L1–positive disease, 8.4 months for PD-L1–negative disease, 18.5 months for BRAF wild-type disease, and 5.8 months for BRAF-mutant disease. Over 3 years’ follow-up, second-line pembrolizumab continued to show manageable safety, clinically meaningful antitumor activity, and durable responses in Chinese patients with advanced melanoma. Subgroup analysis suggested particular benefit in PD-L1–positive and BRAF wild-type acral melanoma, although small subgroup sizes preclude definitive conclusions. Clinical trial registration https://clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT02821000.

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Jiwei Liu

Papers

Lenvatinib as second-line treatment in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A retrospective analysis

Histone deacetylase 4 inhibition ameliorates the social deficits induced by Ephrin-B2 mutation

Efficacy and safety of tunlametinib in patients with advanced NRAS-mutant melanoma: A multicenter, open-label, single-arm, phase 2 study.

Pembrolizumab in Chinese patients with advanced melanoma: 3-year follow-up of the KEYNOTE-151 study