Preliminary Evaluation of Local Treatment Combined with Systemic Therapy for Tumor Recurrence after Surgery for Dual-Phenotype Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

Objective: To explore the clinical efficacy of interventional treatment combined with targeted therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors（ICIs） in patients with postoperative recurrence of dual-phenotype hepatocellular carcinoma(DPHCC). Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on the clinical data of 8 patients with postoperative recurrence of dual-phenotype hepatocellular carcinoma treated at Xiamen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital from January 2019 to March 2023. The clinical outcomes such as progression-free survival and overall survival after comprehensive treatment were analyzed and evaluated. Results: All 8 patients received transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE) or hepatic Artery InfusionChemotherapy(HAIC) combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs) and anti-angiogenic drugs, with a median survival time of 4.9 months (range 1-57.2 months) and a median progression-free survival of 1.5 months (range 0-21 months). Except for patients 2 and 4, tumors continued to progress in all cases, resulting in a disease control rate of only 25%. Conclusion: The efficacy of TACE/HAIC combined with ICIs and targeted drugs for treating dual-phenotype hepatocellular carcinoma may be limited.