Volume 45, Issue 8 e70217
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Vascular Invasion Within the Resectability Criteria Is a Prognostic Factor in Patients Treated With Atezolizumab and Bevacizumab

Tomomitsu Matono

Tomomitsu Matono

Department of Gastroenterology, Hyogo Prefectural Harima-Himeji General Medical Center, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan

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Toshifumi Tada

Corresponding Author

Toshifumi Tada

Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan

Department of Gastroenterology, Japanese Red Cross Society Himeji Hospital, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan

Correspondence:

Toshifumi Tada ([email protected])

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Takashi Kumada

Takashi Kumada

Gifu Kyoritsu University, Gifu, Japan

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Atsushi Hiraoka

Atsushi Hiraoka

Gastroenterology Center, Ehime Prefectural Central Hospital, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan

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Masashi Hirooka

Masashi Hirooka

Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, Japan

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Kazuya Kariyama

Kazuya Kariyama

Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama City Hospital, Okayama, Japan

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Joji Tani

Joji Tani

Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kagawa University, Takamatsu, Kagawa, Japan

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Masanori Atsukawa

Masanori Atsukawa

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan

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Koichi Takaguchi

Koichi Takaguchi

Department of Hepatology, Kagawa Prefectural Central Hospital, Takamatsu, Kagawa, Japan

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Ei Itobayashi

Ei Itobayashi

Department of Gastroenterology, Asahi General Hospital, Asahi, Chiba, Japan

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Shinya Fukunishi

Shinya Fukunishi

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hyogo Medical University, Nishinomiya, Japan

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Hiroki Nishikawa

Hiroki Nishikawa

Department of Gastroenterology, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan

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Kazunari Tanaka

Kazunari Tanaka

Center of Gastroenterology, Teine Keijinkai Hospital, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

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Kunihiko Tsuji

Kunihiko Tsuji

Center of Gastroenterology, Teine Keijinkai Hospital, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

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Toru Ishikawa

Toru Ishikawa

Department of Gastroenterology, Saiseikai Niigata Hospital, Niigata, Japan

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Kazuto Tajiri

Kazuto Tajiri

Department of Gastroenterology, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama, Japan

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Yuichi Koshiyama

Yuichi Koshiyama

Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, Gifu, Japan

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Hidenori Toyoda

Hidenori Toyoda

Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, Gifu, Japan

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Chikara Ogawa

Chikara Ogawa

Department of Gastroenterology, Japanese Red Cross Takamatsu Hospital, Takamatsu, Kagawa, Japan

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Takeshi Hatanaka

Takeshi Hatanaka

Department of Gastroenterology, Gunma Saiseikai Maebashi Hospital, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan

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Satoru Kakizaki

Satoru Kakizaki

Department of Clinical Research, NHO Takasaki General Medical Center, Takasaki, Gunma, Japan

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Kazuhito Kawata

Kazuhito Kawata

Department of Hepatology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan

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Hideko Ohama

Hideko Ohama

Gastroenterology Center, Ehime Prefectural Central Hospital, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan

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Fujimasa Tada

Fujimasa Tada

Gastroenterology Center, Ehime Prefectural Central Hospital, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan

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Kazuhiro Nouso

Kazuhiro Nouso

Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama City Hospital, Okayama, Japan

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Asahiro Morishita

Asahiro Morishita

Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kagawa University, Takamatsu, Kagawa, Japan

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Akemi Tsutsui

Akemi Tsutsui

Department of Hepatology, Kagawa Prefectural Central Hospital, Takamatsu, Kagawa, Japan

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Takuya Nagano

Takuya Nagano

Department of Hepatology, Kagawa Prefectural Central Hospital, Takamatsu, Kagawa, Japan

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Norio Itokawa

Norio Itokawa

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan

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Tomomi Okubo

Tomomi Okubo

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan

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Taeang Arai

Taeang Arai

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan

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Takashi Nishimura

Takashi Nishimura

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hyogo Medical University, Nishinomiya, Japan

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Michitaka Imai

Michitaka Imai

Department of Gastroenterology, Saiseikai Niigata Hospital, Niigata, Japan

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Hisashi Kosaka

Hisashi Kosaka

Department of Surgery, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata, Osaka, Japan

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Atsushi Naganuma

Atsushi Naganuma

Department of Gastroenterology, NHO Takasaki General Medical Center, Takasaki, Gunma, Japan

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Tomoko Aoki

Tomoko Aoki

Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kindai University, Higashiosaka, Osaka, Japan

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Hidekatsu Kuroda

Hidekatsu Kuroda

Division of Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Yahaba, Iwate, Japan

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Yutaka Yata

Yutaka Yata

Department of Gastroenterology, Hanwa Memorial Hospital, Osaka, Japan

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Hideyuki Tamai

Hideyuki Tamai

Department of Hepatology, Wakayama Rosai Hospital, Wakayama, Japan

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Takanori Matsuura

Takanori Matsuura

Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan

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Shohei Komatsu

Shohei Komatsu

Division of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan

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Yoshihide Ueda

Yoshihide Ueda

Department of Gastroenterology, Kakogawa Central City Hospital, Kakogawa, Hyogo, Japan

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Yoshiko Nakamura

Yoshiko Nakamura

Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, Japan

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Osamu Yoshida

Osamu Yoshida

Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, Japan

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Kosuke Matsui

Kosuke Matsui

Department of Surgery, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata, Osaka, Japan

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Shinichiro Nakamura

Shinichiro Nakamura

Department of Gastroenterology, Japanese Red Cross Society Himeji Hospital, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan

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Hirayuki Enomoto

Hirayuki Enomoto

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hyogo Medical University, Nishinomiya, Japan

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Masaki Kaibori

Masaki Kaibori

Department of Surgery, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata, Osaka, Japan

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Takumi Fukumoto

Takumi Fukumoto

Division of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan

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Yoichi Hiasa

Yoichi Hiasa

Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, Japan

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Masatoshi Kudo

Masatoshi Kudo

Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kindai University, Higashiosaka, Osaka, Japan

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on behalf of the Real-life Practice Experts for HCC (RELPEC) Study Group and the Hepatocellular Carcinoma Experts from 48 clinics in Japan (HCC 48) Group

the Real-life Practice Experts for HCC (RELPEC) Study Group and the Hepatocellular Carcinoma Experts from 48 clinics in Japan (HCC 48) Group

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First published: 07 July 2025

Handling Editor: Alejandro Forner

Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work.

ABSTRACT

Background and Aims

To assess the outcomes of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who were treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atezo/Bev), categorised by oncological resectability criteria, which reflect tumour burden and extent of disease.

Methods

A cohort of 467 HCC patients who received Atezo/Bev was enrolled. Patients were classified into two groups based on oncological resectability criteria: BR (borderline resectable) 1 (n = 153) and BR2 (n = 314).

Results

The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 9.0 months in the BR1 group and 6.8 months in the BR2 group (p = 0.014). Multivariable analysis identified the following independent prognostic factors for PFS: age ≥ 75 years (hazard ratio [HR], 1.309), albumin–bilirubin (ALBI) grade ≥ 2 (HR, 1.494), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) ≥ 3 (HR, 1.289), α-fetoprotein ≥ 100 ng/mL (HR, 1.523) and BR2 classification (HR, 1.360). The median overall survival (OS) was 25.3 months in the BR1 group and 22.3 months in the BR2 group (p = 0.048). Multivariable analysis identified the following independent prognostic factors for OS: age ≥ 75 years (HR, 1.522), ALBI grade ≥ 2 (HR, 2.411), NLR ≥ 3 (HR, 1.635), α-fetoprotein ≥ 100 ng/mL (HR, 1.530) and BR2 classification (HR, 1.421). When oncological resectability factors (tumour number and size, vascular invasion and extrahepatic spread) were incorporated into the multivariable analysis, major vascular invasion emerged as a significant predictor of both PFS (HR, 3.188) and OS (HR, 2.650).

Conclusions

In patients with HCC characterised by limited resectability undergoing Atezo/Bev, vascular invasion, in addition to liver function, is a critical prognostic determinant of tumour progression.

Conflicts of Interest

Toshifumi Tada: lecture fees from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Eisai and Chugai. Atsushi Hiraoka: lecture fees from Eisai, Bayer, Eli Lilly and Otsuka. Hidenori Toyoda: lecture fees from AbbVie, Eisai, Gilead, Terumo and Bayer. Masatoshi Kudo: advisory role at Eisai, Ono, MSD, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Roche; lecture fees from Eisai, Bayer, MSD, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and EA Pharma; and research funding from Gilead Sciences, Taiho, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, Takeda, Otsuka, EA Pharma, AbbVie and Eisai. None of the other authors have potential conflicts of interest to declare.

Data Availability Statement

The datasets are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

The full text of this article hosted at iucr.org is unavailable due to technical difficulties.