Organ-specific Responses to Atezolizumab Plus Bevacizumab in Advanced HCC

NCT ID: NCT04862949

Last Updated: 2025-12-12

Study Results

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Total Enrollment

131 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2021-05-01

Study Completion Date

2023-03-09

Brief Summary

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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent causes of cancer-related deaths globally and in Korea. Many patients diagnosed at advanced stage, and systemic therapy is mainstay of treatment in patients with advanced HCC.

However, immune-checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) monotherapy did not significantly improve overall survival in phase III studies. According to previous retrospective analyses, ICI treatment in advanced HCC showed different organ-specific responses. The intrahepatic HCC was the least responsive organ to ICI treatment. The failure of phase III trials of ICI monotherapy may have been attributed to different organ-specific response pattern of ICIs.

Combination of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab is expected to overcome the immunosuppressive microenvironment of liver and may enhance intrahepatic response of ICI.

Detailed Description

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In a previous retrospective analysis of pembrolizumab treated patients with advanced melanoma and NSCLC, patients with liver metastases showed poorer PFS compared with those without liver metastases with reduced ORR. Similar observations have also been reported in metastatic of triple-negative breast cancer patients, there were no responses in patients with liver metastases. Taken together the results of previous studies, hepatic metastases had reduced response to ICI compared with metastases at other organs, regardless of cancer types.

In addition, ICI treatment in advanced HCC showed different organ-specific responses. The poorer response rate in liver to ICI might be affected by liver-specific immunosuppressive microenvironment (TME). To overcome the unfavorable immunosuppressive TME of the liver, combination strategies are needed to achieve enhanced anti-tumor immune responses or alleviated tumor-associated immunosuppression.

Since the cause of death in most HCC patients was hepatic failure due to intrahepatic HCC or underlying liver cirrhosis, the response rate to ICI of intrahepatic tumor lesions is a crucial factor in determining the overall prognosis of advanced HCC.

Therefore, we hypothesize that combination strategy of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab may increase organ specific response in patients with advanced HCC, and may improve survival outcomes accordingly.

Objectives We hypothesize that combination strategy of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab may increase organ specific response in patients with advanced HCC, and may improve survival outcomes accordingly.

Conditions

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Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

RETROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

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Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab

Patients received combination therapy with atezolizumab and bevacizumab as first-line systemic treatment for advanced HCC.

Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab

Intervention Type DRUG

Patients received combination therapy with atezolizumab (Tecentriq) and bevacizumab (Avastin) as first-line systemic treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Interventions

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Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab

Patients received combination therapy with atezolizumab (Tecentriq) and bevacizumab (Avastin) as first-line systemic treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

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Atezolizumab Bevacizumab

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Confirmed HCC pathological or non-invasive assessment according to American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) criteria
* ECOG performance status 0 or 1
* Patients who received Atezolizumab and Bevacizumab combination therapy as first-line systemic treatment for unresectable HCC
* Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage B or C
* Child-Pugh class A
* Measurable lesion
* Adequate hematologic and organ function

Exclusion Criteria

* History of autoimmune disease
* Concomitant anticoagulation at therapeutic doses. Low dose aspirin for
* cardio protection is permitted.
Minimum Eligible Age

19 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Hoffmann-La Roche

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role collaborator

CHA University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Hong Jae Chon, MD, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

CHA University

Locations

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Cha Medical Center

Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

Site Status

Countries

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South Korea

References

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Provided Documents

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Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Related Links

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https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31559039/

Lee M, Ryoo BY, Hsu CH, et al: Randomised efficacy and safety results for atezolizumab (Atezo) + bevacizumab (Bev) in patients (pts) with previously untreated, unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Annals of Oncology 30:v875, 2019

https://doi.org/10.1093/annonc/mdz394.029

T. Yau, J.W. Park, R.S. Finn, et al: LBA38\_PR - CheckMate 459: A randomized, multi-center phase III study of nivolumab (NIVO) vs sorafenib (SOR) as first-line (1L) treatment in patients (pts) with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC).

Other Identifiers

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2021-04-010-001

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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