Prognostic value of SAT volume and density for predicting the outcome of patients with unresectable HCC treated with lenvatinib plus anti-PD-1 antibodies.

Abstract

The combination of immunotherapy and lenvatinib has shown a good response for inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. However, a specific marker to predict the response, overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of this combination treatment is lacking. The present work focused on investigating whether subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) characteristics on CT could predict the response and survival for HCC patients who receive the combination treatment. This study retrospectively enrolled 100 patients with inoperable HCC who received lenvatinib combined with anti-PD-1 antibody treatment from 2018 to 2022. Fifty-six patients were finally included. The area and density of SAT were measured using unenhanced cross-sectional CT images. The SAT volume index was calculated as the SAT area divided by height squared in meters (cm2/m2). We classified these patients into two groups according to SAT volume index and density. Twenty-one patients (37.5%) with a low SAT volume index and high density were divided into the high risk group. High risk patients showed a markedly decreased objective response rate (ORR) compared with low risk patients (19.0% versus 54.3%, P = 0.021). The median PFS times were 6.00 and 12.03 months for the high risk and low risk groups, respectively (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.296, P = 0.035). High risk patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage-C had a markedly decreased OS of compared to low risk patients (HR = 4.272, P = 0.01). Patients with low SAT volume index and high density were found to have less opportunity to benefit from this combination therapy.

• Authors: Junwei Zhang, Xu Yang, Xiaobo Yang, Jia Xu, Yunchao Wang, Yanyu Wang, Ziyu Xun, Nan Zhang, Xinting Sang, Yiyao Xu, Xuan Wang, Haitao Zhao, Xin Lu
• Journal: American journal of cancer research (Am J Cancer Res) Vol. 13 Issue 3 Pg. 912-921 ( 2023) ISSN: 2156-6976 [Print] United States
• PMID: 37034208 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: AJCR Copyright © 2023.