Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of death from cancer globally. Indeed, there is a single drug approved as first-line systemic therapy in advanced unresectable HCC, providing a very limited survival benefit. In earlier stages, 5-year survival rates after surgical and loco-regional therapies are extremely variable depending on the stage of disease. Nevertheless, HCC is considered an immunogenic tumor arising in chronically inflamed livers. In such a scenario, immunotherapy strategies for HCC, in particular combinations including cancer vaccines, may represent a key therapeutic tool to improve clinical outcome in HCC patients. However, a lot of improvement is needed given the disappointing results obtained so far.
Keywords:
Cancer vaccine; Checkpoint inhibitors; Epigenetic drugs; Immunotherapy; Liver cancer.
Copyright © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Review
MeSH terms
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Antigens, Neoplasm / genetics
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Antigens, Neoplasm / immunology
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Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological / pharmacology
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Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological / therapeutic use
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Cancer Vaccines / therapeutic use
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Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / genetics
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Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / immunology
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Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / mortality
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Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / therapy*
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Clinical Trials as Topic
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Combined Modality Therapy / methods
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DNA Modification Methylases / antagonists & inhibitors
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Epigenesis, Genetic / drug effects
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Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects
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Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / immunology
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Humans
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Immunotherapy / methods*
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Liver Neoplasms / genetics
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Liver Neoplasms / immunology
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Liver Neoplasms / mortality
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Liver Neoplasms / therapy*
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Mutation
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Oncolytic Virotherapy / methods*
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Oncolytic Viruses
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Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / antagonists & inhibitors
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Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / immunology
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Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology
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Protein Kinase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
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Radiofrequency Ablation*
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Sorafenib / therapeutic use
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Survival Rate
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Treatment Outcome
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Tumor Microenvironment / drug effects
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Tumor Microenvironment / immunology
Substances
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Antigens, Neoplasm
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Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological
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Cancer Vaccines
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PDCD1 protein, human
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Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor
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Protein Kinase Inhibitors
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Sorafenib
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DNA Modification Methylases