Dr. Harris on the Adoption of Immunotherapy in Advanced HCC

William P. Harris, MD, physician, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, associate professor, Division of Oncology, University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine, physician, UW Medicine, associate professor, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, discusses the adoption of immunotherapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

In recent years, the integration of immunotherapy into the treatment landscape of advanced HCC has been a significant advance in the treatment of this patient population, Harris says. Moreover, the data from the phase 3 IMbrave150 trial (NCT03434379) solidified the role for immunotherapy as a standard frontline treatment option for this patient population. Based on findings from the IMbrave150 study, in May 2020, the FDA approved the combination of atezolizumab (Tecentriq) and bevacizumab (Avastin) for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic HCC who have not received prior systemic therapy.

Additionally, several studies evaluating immunotherapy are ongoing in advanced HCC, Harris adds.

Ultimately, immunotherapy has dramatically transformed the way patients with HCC are treated, Harris says. The treatment provides the opportunity for patients to derive a prolonged response and without significant toxicity that could compromise quality of life, Harris concludes.