Journal of Digestive Cancer Research

Korean Society of Gastrointestinal Cancer Research (대한소화기암연구학회)
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Recent Advances in Immune-based Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

간세포암종의 면역 기반 항암치료의 최신 지견

  • Kyung Won Park (Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Tae Hoon Park (Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Eun Ji Jang (The Catholic University Liver Research Center, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Pil Soo Sung (Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea)
  • 박경원 (가톨릭대학교 의과대학 내과학교실) ;
  • 박태훈 (가톨릭대학교 의과대학 내과학교실) ;
  • 장은지 (가톨릭대학교 의과대학 간연구소) ;
  • 성필수 (가톨릭대학교 의과대학 내과학교실)
  • Received : 2024.07.24
  • Accepted : 2024.08.06
  • Published : 2024.08.20
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Abstract

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is continuously increasing worldwide, with approximately 1 million new cases expected annually by 2025. Data from the Korean Central Cancer Registry in 2023 revealed that the survival rate of patients with HCC was only 40%, unlike patients with other major cancers with a 5-year survival rate of up to 80%, highlighting the need for improved outcomes. The prognosis of HCC significantly changed following research on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Several studies have demonstrated that the overall survival of patients treated with first-line combination therapies, such as atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1) and bevacizumab (anti-VEGF) or durvalumab (anti-PD-L1) and tremelimumab (anti-CTLA-4), was higher than that of patients treated with sorafenib. Research to identify biomarkers that can predict ICI responses is ongoing, enabling the selection of suitable patients before drug initiation. Moreover, studies of the tumor microenvironment in HCC enhance our understanding of immune responses, helping us identify new therapeutic strategies. Additionally, clinical trials are being conducted for emerging immunotherapies beyond ICIs, such as adoptive cell therapy. Based on these ongoing scientific researches and the development of various therapeutic modalities, multiple options are being established for patients with HCC who do not respond well to first-line treatments. Consequently, treatment options and survival rates of patients with advanced HCC could be significantly enhanced in the future.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

The Basic Science Research Program supported this research through a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Korean government (MSIT) (grant RS-2024-00337298).

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