Systemic inflammation is a key risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression and poor outcomes. Inflammatory markers such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) may have prognostic value in HCC treated with standard of care atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atezo-Bev). We conducted a multicenter, international retrospective cohort study of patients with unresectable HCC treated with Atezo-Bev to assess the association of NLR and PLR with overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and objective response rates. Patients with NLR ≥ 5 had a significantly shorter OS (9.38 vs. 16.79 months, p < 0.001) and PFS (4.90 vs. 7.58 months, p = 0.03) compared to patients with NLR < 5. NLR ≥ 5 was an independent prognosticator of worse OS (HR 2.01, 95% CI 1.22–3.56, p = 0.007) but not PFS. PLR ≥ 300 was also significantly associated with decreased OS (9.38 vs. 15.72 months, p = 0.007) and PFS (3.45 vs. 7.11 months, p = 0.04) compared to PLR < 300, but it was not an independent prognosticator of OS or PFS. NLR and PLR were not associated with objective response or disease control rates. NLR ≥ 5 independently prognosticated worse survival outcomes and is worthy of further study and validation.

We aimed to identify a specific microRNA (miRNA) pattern to determine diagnostic and prognostic value in plasma exosomes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. A two-stage study was carried out: exosomal miRNAs were quantified in plasma of HCC patients and healthy individuals by PCR-based microarray cards containing 45 different miRNAs (training cohort). Then, four deregulated miRNAs (miR-16, miR-146a, miR-192, and miR-221) were quantified in the validation analysis using exosomes derived from 85 HCC patients, 50 liver cirrhosis patients, and 20 healthy individuals. Exosomal miR-146a (p = 0.0001), miR-192 (p = 0.002) and miR-221 (p = 0.032) were upregulated only in HCC patients. Repeated 10-fold cross validation showed that miR-146a differentiated HCC from liver cirrhosis patients with AUC of 0.80 ± 0.14 (sensitivity: 81 ± 13%, specificity: 58 ± 22%) in a logistic regression model. High miR-192 presence is associated with poor overall survival (OS) in all HCC patients (p = 0.027) and was predictor of OS in HCC patients in an uni- and multivariate Cox regression model. Moreover, decreased miR-16 levels correlated with OS in liver cirrhosis patients (p = 0.034). Our results emphasized that exosomes secreted into the plasma carry differentially expressed miRNAs of which in particular, miR-192, miR-146, and miR-16 are promising diagnostic and prognostic markers for both HCC and liver cirrhosis patients.

Background and Aims: Combination atezolizumab/bevacizumab is the gold standard for first‐line treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our study investigated the efficacy and safety of combination therapy in older patients with HCC.Methods: 191 consecutive patients from eight centres receiving atezolizumab and bevacizumab were included. Overall survival (OS), progression‐free survival (PFS), overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) defined by RECIST v1.1 were measured in older (age ≥ 65 years) and younger (age < 65 years) age patients. Treatment‐related adverse events (trAEs) were evaluated.Results: The elderly (n = 116) had higher rates of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (19.8% vs. 2.7%; p < .001), presenting with smaller tumours (6.2 cm vs 7.9 cm, p = .02) with less portal vein thrombosis (31.9 vs. 54.7%, p = .002), with fewer patients presenting with BCLC‐C stage disease (50.9 vs. 74.3%, p = .002). There was no significant difference in OS (median 14.9 vs. 15.1 months; HR 1.15, 95% CI 0.65–2.02 p = .63) and PFS (median 7.1 vs. 5.5 months; HR 1.11, 95% CI 0.54–1.92; p = .72) between older age and younger age. Older patients had similar ORR (27.6% vs. 20.0%; p = .27) and DCR (77.5% vs. 66.1%; p = .11) compared to younger patients. Atezolizumab‐related (40.5% vs. 48.0%; p = .31) and bevacizumab‐related (44.8% vs. 41.3%; p = .63) trAEs were comparable between groups. Rates of grade ≥3 trAEs and toxicity‐related treatment discontinuation were similar between older and younger age patients. Patients 75 years and older had similar survival and safety outcomes compared to younger patients.Conclusions: Atezolizumab and bevacizumab therapy is associated with comparable efficacy and tolerability in older age patients with unresectable HCC.

Background: The translational interest in the intratumoral heterogeneity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been increasing. The dismal prognosis of this pathology is linked to the features of the HCC harbouring cancer stem cells (CSC), represented by EpCAM-expression. However, the extent of the impact of intratumoral distribution of CSC-features, both on the recurrence after curative resection and on clinical outcome, remains unknown. To address this, we investigated the spatial heterogeneity of CSC-features with the aim of identifying the unique HCC patient subgroups amenable to adjuvant treatment. Methods: We designed a tissue microarray (TMA) from patients who had received liver resection between 2011 and 2017. Tumor specimens were sampled at multiple locations (n = 3–8). EpCAM-positivity was assessed for intensity and proportion by applying a score dividing three groups: (i) negative (E−/−); (ii) heterogeneous (E−/+); and (iii) homogeneous (E+/+). The groups were further analysed with regard to time-to-recurrence (TTR) and recurrence-free-survival (RFS). Results: We included 314 tumor spots from 69 patients (76.8% male, median age 66, liver cirrhosis/fibrosis 75.8%). The risk factors were alcohol abuse (26.2%), NASH (13.1%), HBV (15.5%), HCV (17.9%) and others (27.4%), representative of a typical Western cohort. E+/+ patients experienced significantly shorter TTR and RFS compared to E+/− and E−/− patients (TTR 5 vs. 19 months, p = 0.022; RFS 5 vs. 14 vs. 21 months, p = 0.016). Only homogeneous EpCAM-positivity correlated with higher AFP levels (> 400 ng/ml, p = 0.031). Conclusions: Spatial heterogeneity of EpCAM-expression was markedly present in the cohort. Of note, only homogeneous EpCAM-expression correlated significantly with early recurrence, whereas heterogeneous EpCAM-expression was associated with clinical endpoints comparable to EpCAM-negativity. We identified a unique HCC subtype associated with a high risk of tumor recurrence.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks among the five most common cancer entities worldwide and leads to hundred-thousands of deaths every year. Despite some groundbreaking therapeutical revelations during the last years, the overall prognosis remains poor. Although the immune system fights malignant transformations with a robust anti-tumor response, certain immune mediators have also been shown to promote cancer development. For example, interleukin (IL)-22 has been associated with HCC progression and worsened prognosis in multiple studies. However, the underlying mechanisms of the pathological role of IL-22-signaling as well as the role of its natural antagonist IL-22 binding protein (IL-22BP) in HCC remain elusive. Here, we corroborate the pathogenic role of IL-22 in HCC by taking advantage of two mouse models. Moreover, we observed a protective role of IL-22BP during liver carcinogenesis. While IL-22 was mainly produced by CD4⁺ T cells in HCC, IL-22BP was abundantly expressed by neutrophils during liver carcinogenesis. Hepatocytes could be identified as a major target of this pathological IL-22-signaling. Moreover, abrogation of IL-22 signaling in hepatocytes in IL22ra1^flox/flox × Alb^Cre+ mice reduced STEAP4 expression-a known oncogene-in HCC in vivo. Likewise, STEAP4 expression correlated with IL22 levels in human HCC samples, but not in healthy liver specimens. In conclusion, these data encourage the development of therapeutical approaches that target the IL-22–IL-22BP axis in HCC.

Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with vascular invasion and/or extrahepatic spread and preserved liver function, according to stage C of the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) classification, has a dismal prognosis. The multi-targeted tyrosine-kinase receptor inhibitor (TKI) sorafenib is the only proven active substance in systemic HCC therapy for first-line treatment. In this review, we summarize current aspects in patient selection and management of side effects, and provide an update on response evaluation during first-line sorafenib therapy. Since second-line treatment options have been improved with the successful completion of the RESORCE trial, demonstrating a survival benefit for second-line treatment with the TKI regorafenib, response monitoring during first-line therapy will be critical to deliver optimal systemic therapy in HCC. To this regard, specific side effects, in particular worsening of arterial hypertension and diarrhea, might suggest treatment response during first-line sorafenib therapy; however, clear predictive clinical markers, as well as laboratory test or serum markers, are not established. Assessment of radiologic response according to the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST) is helpful to identify patients who do not benefit from sorafenib treatment.