Minireviews
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2019.
World J Gastroenterol. Feb 21, 2019; 25(7): 789-807
Published online Feb 21, 2019. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v25.i7.789
Table 1 Phase III clinical trials of advanced stage hepatocellular carcinoma
Target populationDesignTrial nameResultPresentationPublication1st author
AdvancedFirst line1 Sorafenib vs SunitinibSUN1170NegativeASCO 2011JCO 2013[6]Cheng AL
2 Sorafenib +/- ErlotinibSEARCHNegativeESMO 2012JCO 2015[7]Zhu AX
3 Sorafenib vs BrivanibBRISK-FLNegativeAASLD 2012JCO 2013[8]Johnson PJ
4 Sorafenib vs LinifanibLiGHTNegativeASCO-GI 2013JCO 2015[9]Cainap C
5 Sorafenib +/- DoxorubicinCALGB 80802NegativeASCO-GI 2016
6 Sorafenib +/- HAICSILIUSNegativeEASL 2016Lancet GH 2018[10]Kudo M
7 Sorafenib +/- Y90SARAHNegativeEASL 2017Lancet-O 2017[11]Vilgrain V
8 Sorafenib +/- Y90SIRveNIBNegativeASCO 2017JCO 2018[12]Chow P
9 Sorafenib vs LenvatinibREFLECTPositiveASCO 2017Lancet 2018[34]Kudo M
10 Sorafenib vs NivolumabCheckMate-459Ongoing
11 Sorafenib vs Durvalumab + Tremelimumab vs DurvaHIMALAYAOngoing
12 Sorafenib vs Atezolizumab + BevacizumabImbrave 150Ongoing
13 Sorafenib vs TislelizumabOngoing
Second line1 Brivanib vs PlaceboBRISK-PSNegativeEASL 2012JCO 2013[13]Llovet JM
2 Everolimus vs PlaceboEVOLVE-1NegativeASCO-GI 2014JAMA 2014[14]Zhu AX
3 Ramucirumab vs PlaceboREACHNegativeESMO 2014Lancet-O 2015[15]Zhu AX
4 S-1 vs PlaceboS-CUBENegativeASCO 2015Lancet GH 2017[16]Kudo M
5 ADI-PEG 20 vs PlaceboNANegativeASCO 2016Ann Oncol 2018[17]Abou-Alfa G
6 Regorafenib vs PlaceboRESORCEPositiveWCGC 2016Lancet 2017[41]Bruix J
7 Tivantinib vs PlaceboMETIV-HCCNegativeASCO 2017Lancet-O 2018[18]Rimassa L
8 Tivantinib vs PlaceboJET-HCCNegativeESMO 2017
9 DT vs PlaceboReLiveNegativeILCA 2017
10 Cabozantinib vs PlaceboCELESTIALPositiveASCO-GI 2018NEJM 2018[45]Abou-Alfe G
11 Ramucirumab vs PlaceboREACH-2PositiveASCO 2018Lancet-O 2019[30]Zhu AX
12 Pembrolizumab vs PlaceboKEYNOTE-240Negative
Table 2 Randomized phase II, phase III clinical trials of early / intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma
Target populationDesignTrial nameResultPresentationPublication1st author
EarlyAdjuvant (prevention of recurrence)1 Vitamin K2 vs PlaceboNegativeHepatology 2011[21]Yoshida H
2 Peretinoin vs PlaceboNIK-333NegativeASCO 2010JG 2014[22]Okita K
3 Sorafenib vs PlaceboSTORMNegativeASCO 2014Lancet-O 2015[23]Bruix J
4 Peretinoin vs PlaceboNIK-333/K-333Ongoing
Improvement of RFA1 RFA +/- LTLDHEATNegativeILCA 2013CCR 2017[24]Tak WY
2 RFA +/- LTLDOPTIMA
IntermediateImprovement of TACE1 TACE +/- SorafenibPost-TACENegativeASCO-GI 2010EJC 2011[25]Kudo M
2 TACE +/- SorafenibSPACE (Ph II)NegativeASCO-GI 2012J Hepatol 2016[26]Lencioni R
3 TACE +/- BrivanibBRISK-TANegativeILCA 2013Hepatol 2014[27]Kudo M
4 TACE +/- OrantinibORIENTALNegativeEASL 2015Lancet GH 2017[28]Kudo M
5 TACE +/- SorafenibTACE-2NegativeASCO 2016Lancet GH 2017[29]Meyer T
6 TACE +/- SorafenibTACTICS (Ph II)PositiveASCO-GI 2018[30]Kudo M
Table 3 Results of the REFLECT trial[34]
Lenvatinib (n = 478)Sorafenib (n = 476)HR, P-value
OS (M, 95% CI)13.6 (12.1-14.9)12.3 (10.4-13.9)HR 0.92 (0.79-1.06)
PFS (M, 95% CI)7.3 (5.6-7.5)3.6 (3.6-3.7)HR 0.64 (0.55-0.75) P < 0.0001
TTP (M, 95% CI)7.4 (7.2-9.1)3.7 (3.6-3.9)HR 0.60 (0.51-0.71) P < 0.0001
Objective response (independent review, mRECIST)
CR10 (2%)4 (1%)
PR184 (38%)55 (12%)
SD159 (33%)219 (46%)
PD79 (17%)152 (32%)
ORR194 (40.6%)59 (12.4%)P < 0.0001
DCR353 (73.8%)278 (58.4%)P < 0.0001
Table 4 Results of the RESORCE trial[41]
Regorafenib (n = 379)Placebo (n = 194)HR, P-value
OS (M, 95%CI)10.6 (9.1-12.1)7.8 (6.3-8.8)HR 0.63 (95%CI 0.50-0.79) P < 0.0001
PFS (M, 95%CI)3.1 (2.8-4.1)10.6 (1.4-1.6)HR 0.46 (95%CI 0.37-0.56) P < 0.0001
TTP (M, 95%CI)3.2 (2.9-4.2)10.6 (1.4-1.6)HR 0.44 (95%CI 0.36-0.55) P < 0.0001
Objective response(investigator assessed, mRECIST)
CR2 (1%)0
PR38 (10%)8 (4%)
SD206 (54%)62 (32%)
PD86 (23%)108 (56%)
ORR40 (11%)8 (4%)P = 0.0047
DCR247 (65%)70 (36%)P < 0.0001
Table 5 Results of the CERESTIAL trial[45]
Cabozantinib (n = 470)Placebo (n = 237)HR, P-value
OS (M, 95%CI)10.2 (9.1-12.0)8.0 (6.8-9.4)HR 0.76 (95%CI 0.63-0.92) P = 0.0049
PFS (M, 95%CI)5.2 (4.0-5.5)1.9 (1.9-1.9)HR 0.44 (95%CI 0.36-0.52) P < 0.0001
Objective response (investigator assessed, RECIST 1.1)
CR (%)00
PR (%)40.4
SD (%)6033
PD (%)2155
NE (%)1511
ORR (%, 95CI)4 (2.3-6.0)0.4 (0.0-2.3)P = 0.0086
DCR (%)6433.4
Table 6 Results of the REACH-2 trial[49]
Ramucirumab (n = 197)Placebo (n = 95)HR, P-value
OS (M, 95%CI)8.57.3HR 0.710 (95%CI 0.531-0.949) P = 0.0199
PFS (M, 95%CI)2.81.6HR 0.452 (95%CI 0.339-0.603) P < 0.0001
Objective response (RECIST 1.1)
CR (n, %)0 (0.0)0 (0.0)
PR (n, %)9 (4.6)1 (1.1)
SD (n, %)109 (55.3)36 (37.9)
PD (n,%)66 (33.5)48 (50.5)
NE (n, %)13 (6.6)10 (10.5)
ORR (%, 95CI)9 (4.6)1 (1.1)P = 0.1697
DCR (%)118 (59.9)37 (38.9)P = 0.0006
Table 7 Results of TACTICS trial[30]
TACE with sorafenib median (M)TACE alone median (M)HR (95% CI)P value
PFS25.213.50.59 (0.41-0.87)0.006
TTUP26.720.60.57 (0.36-0.92)0.02
TTP26.716.40.54 (0.35-0.83)0.005
TTVI31.34.00.26 (0.09-0.75)0.005
TTEHS15.76.90.21 (0.06-0.70)0.006
TTSP22.56.30.31 (0.15-0.63)0.001
Table 8 Results of immune checkpoint inhibitors and combination therapy
Nivolumab[58]
Pembrolizumab[59]
Pembrolizumab plus Lenvatinib[67]
Atezolizumab plus Bevacizumab1[62]
SHR-1210 plus Apatinib[64]
Durvalumab plus Tremelimumab[65]
(n = 214)(n = 104)(n = 26)(n = 73)(n = 18)(n = 40)
ORR (%, 95%CI)20 (15-26)217 (11-26)242.3 (23.4-63.1)334338.9 3252
DCR (%, 95%CI)64 (58-71)62 (52-71)1007583.357.5 (> 16 wk)
PFS (M, 95%CI)4.0 (2.9-5.4)4.9 (3.4-7.2)9.7 (5.6-NE)7.5 (0.4-23.9)7.2 (2.6-NE)NA
OS (M, 95%CI)NR (9M, 74%)12.9 (9.7-15.5)NRNRNRNA
DOR (M)9.9 (8.3-NE)≤ 9 (77%)NENRNENA