{"title":"Anti-Angiogenic Agents for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Induce Liver Atrophy","authors":"Taijiro Wake, Tomoharu Yamada, Ryosuke Tateishi, Makoto Moriyama, Yuki Matsushita, Kazuya Okushin, Takuma Nakatsuka, Masaya Sato, Tatsuya Minami, Yotaro Kudo, Mitsuhiro Fujishiro","doi":"10.1002/cam4.71066","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div>\n \n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Aim</h3>\n \n <p>Systemic therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) includes multi-kinase inhibitors with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) activity and anti-VEGF monoclonal antibodies in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors. This study aimed to investigate and compare the chronological changes in liver volume between patients who received atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atezo/Bev) and those who received lenvatinib.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Methods</h3>\n \n <p>We enrolled patients who received initial treatment with either Atezo/Bev or lenvatinib for advanced HCC between October 2018 and May 2023. Patients underwent periodic computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate systemic therapy effects. Patients with portal vein thrombosis or prior liver resection/transplantation were excluded. Liver volume was measured at baseline and at 8 and 16 weeks after the initiation of treatment using commercially available software. Liver volume at each time point was expressed as a proportion relative to baseline. A linear regression analysis was used to analyze the chronological changes in liver volume.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Results</h3>\n \n <p>Seventy-three patients (40 in the Atezo/Bev group and 33 in the lenvatinib group) were included in this retrospective study. Liver volume decreased in 54 patients (74%) at week 8; the average volume relative to baseline was 0.92 (95% confidence interval: 0.90–0.94, <i>p</i> < 0.01). Liver volume decreased in patients with both shrinking and enlarged tumors. Multivariate analysis indicates that the decrease in nontumoral liver volume was more significant in the lenvatinib group than in the Atezo/Bev group (<i>p</i> = 0.04).</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Conclusions</h3>\n \n <p>Anti-angiogenic therapy for advanced HCC can lead to liver atrophy.</p>\n </section>\n </div>","PeriodicalId":139,"journal":{"name":"Cancer Medicine","volume":"14 15","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cam4.71066","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Cancer Medicine","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cam4.71066","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ONCOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Aim
Systemic therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) includes multi-kinase inhibitors with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) activity and anti-VEGF monoclonal antibodies in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors. This study aimed to investigate and compare the chronological changes in liver volume between patients who received atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atezo/Bev) and those who received lenvatinib.
Methods
We enrolled patients who received initial treatment with either Atezo/Bev or lenvatinib for advanced HCC between October 2018 and May 2023. Patients underwent periodic computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate systemic therapy effects. Patients with portal vein thrombosis or prior liver resection/transplantation were excluded. Liver volume was measured at baseline and at 8 and 16 weeks after the initiation of treatment using commercially available software. Liver volume at each time point was expressed as a proportion relative to baseline. A linear regression analysis was used to analyze the chronological changes in liver volume.
Results
Seventy-three patients (40 in the Atezo/Bev group and 33 in the lenvatinib group) were included in this retrospective study. Liver volume decreased in 54 patients (74%) at week 8; the average volume relative to baseline was 0.92 (95% confidence interval: 0.90–0.94, p < 0.01). Liver volume decreased in patients with both shrinking and enlarged tumors. Multivariate analysis indicates that the decrease in nontumoral liver volume was more significant in the lenvatinib group than in the Atezo/Bev group (p = 0.04).
Conclusions
Anti-angiogenic therapy for advanced HCC can lead to liver atrophy.
期刊介绍:
Cancer Medicine is a peer-reviewed, open access, interdisciplinary journal providing rapid publication of research from global biomedical researchers across the cancer sciences. The journal will consider submissions from all oncologic specialties, including, but not limited to, the following areas:
Clinical Cancer Research
Translational research ∙ clinical trials ∙ chemotherapy ∙ radiation therapy ∙ surgical therapy ∙ clinical observations ∙ clinical guidelines ∙ genetic consultation ∙ ethical considerations
Cancer Biology:
Molecular biology ∙ cellular biology ∙ molecular genetics ∙ genomics ∙ immunology ∙ epigenetics ∙ metabolic studies ∙ proteomics ∙ cytopathology ∙ carcinogenesis ∙ drug discovery and delivery.
Cancer Prevention:
Behavioral science ∙ psychosocial studies ∙ screening ∙ nutrition ∙ epidemiology and prevention ∙ community outreach.
Bioinformatics:
Gene expressions profiles ∙ gene regulation networks ∙ genome bioinformatics ∙ pathwayanalysis ∙ prognostic biomarkers.
Cancer Medicine publishes original research articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and research methods papers, along with invited editorials and commentaries. Original research papers must report well-conducted research with conclusions supported by the data presented in the paper.