Key clinical point: Treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) was associated with prolonged survival and better safety compared with standard care in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Major finding: ICIs vs standard care were associated with superior overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 0.75; P = .006), progression-free survival (HR, 0.74; P = .03), and overall response rate (odds ratio [OR], 2.82; P < .001) and lower odds of grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events (OR, 0.44; P = .04).
Study details: Findings are from a meta-analysis of 3 randomized controlled trials ( KEYNOTE-240, CheckMate-459, and IMbrave150), including 1,657 patients with unresectable HCC treated with either ICIs (n=985) or standard care (n=672).
Disclosures: No source of funding was identified. The lead author and JPS Vasconcelos received grants and/or personal fees from various pharmaceutical companies.
Source: Jácome AA et al. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Dec 6. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.36128 .