Impact of antibiotic therapy in patients with cholangiocarcinoma treated with chemoimmunotherapy.

Background: Patients with biliary tract cancers (BTC) often require antibiotic therapy before starting systemic treatment that includes an immune checkpoint inhibitor. This study aims to evaluate the prognostic impact of antibiotic therapy administered in the 15 days prior to the start of chemoimmunotherapy in patients with BTC.

Material And Methods: The study population included patients with metastatic or locally advanced BTC from western and eastern populations treated with first-line chemoimmunotherapy.

Negative impact of corticosteroid use on outcome in patients with advanced BTCs treated with cisplatin, gemcitabine, and durvalumab: A large real-life worldwide population.

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the possible prognostic impact of concomitant medications in patients with cancer treated with immunotherapy combinations. This real-world analysis aims to evaluate the impact of concomitant medications on survival outcomes in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTCs) treated with cisplatin, gemcitabine and durvalumab (CGD) therapy. The study cohort included patients with a diagnosis of advanced BTCs who were taking concomitant medications for their comorbidities before the start of CGD.

The impact of molecular alterations in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer receiving cisplatin, gemcitabine and durvalumab: a large real-life worldwide population.

Background & Aims: Cisplatin, gemcitabine, and durvalumab (CGD) combination is a standard first-line treatment for advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC). This study aimed to assess the impact of genetic alterations on outcomes in patients with advanced BTC treated with CGD in real-world clinical practice.

Methods: Patients with unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic BTC treated with CGD across 39 centers in 11 countries (Europe, United States, and Asia) were included in this analysis.

Comparative Effectiveness of Atezolizumab Plus Bevacizumab Versus Tremelimumab Plus Durvalumab in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) in a Real-World Setting.

Background: There are no studies that directly compare atezolizumab plus bevacizumab and tremelimumab plus durvalumab (STRIDE), two first-line options for the systemic therapy of advanced hepatocarcinoma (HCC).

Objective: We conducted a real-world retrospective analysis to compare the clinical efficacies of these two regimens.

Patients And Methods: Using TriNetX data on patients with HCC at Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stages B or C, the analysis included patients treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab or with the STRIDE regimen.

A Prognostic Index for Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer Treated With Cisplatin, Gemcitabine and Durvalumab: The MAGIC-D Index.

Background: Over the years, prognostic indexes have been developed to help clinicians stratify patients with biliary tract cancers (BTC) into risk groups. This study aims to identify a new prognostic index for patients with BTC treated with cisplatin, gemcitabine and durvalumab (CGD) in the first-line setting.

Patients And Methods: The study population consisted of patients with BTC from 11 Eastern and Western Countries.

Anti-Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-2 Therapies in Biliary Tract Cancers: A Meta-Analysis on Disease Location, Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-2 Status, and Survival Outcomes.

Introduction: In recent years, the therapeutic scenario of metastatic biliary tract cancers (BTCs) beyond first-line has profoundly changed owing to target therapies. human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) represents a promising molecular target that is frequently altered in BTC. The present meta-analyses aimed to describe the response rates and survival outcomes in patients with HER2-positive locally advanced/metastatic BTC treated with anti-HER2 therapies.

Factors associated with reaching maintenance therapy in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer treated with durvalumab: Real-world results from a multicenter and multinational study.

Standard of care first-line systemic treatment for advanced biliary tract cancer includes chemo-immunotherapy with gemcitabine, cisplatin, and durvalumab, followed by maintenance durvalumab monotherapy. The present work aims to investigate the differences in baseline clinical and molecular characteristics between patients with early progression during chemo-immunotherapy and those who reach durvalumab maintenance therapy. The study population included patients with unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic BTC who received treatment at 38 clinical Institutions in 12 countries from July 2021 to December 2023.

HER2 Pathway in Biliary Tract Cancer: A Snapshot of the Current Understanding and Future Directions.

Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) are a wide class of malignancies with dismal prognosis. The therapeutic scenario of metastatic BTCs has profoundly changed during recent years. The combination of cisplatin-gemcitabine plus immunotherapy is currently the gold standard in the first line.

Aflibercept-Based and Bevacizumab-Based Second Line Regimens in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Propensity Score Weighted-Analysis from a Multicenter Cohort.

Background: Both aflibercept and bevacizumab-based regimens are available II-line treatment options for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). However, no head-to-head trials established the optimal anti-angiogenic strategy for this setting.

Methods: We launched a multicenter, retrospective, observational study to assess and compare clinical efficacy of II-line treatments for patients with mCRC.

Survival Outcomes of Durvalumab in Combination with Cisplatin and Gemcitabine in Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer: Real-World Results from a Single Italian Institution.

Introduction: The TOPAZ-1 phase III trial showed a survival benefit with durvalumab plus gemcitabine and cisplatin in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC). To understand this combination's real-world efficacy and tolerability, we conducted a retrospective analysis of its first-line treatment outcomes.

Methods: We included patients with unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic BTC treated with cisplatin, gemcitabine, plus durvalumab.

Intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma: new horizons and prospects for our patients.

Introduction: In recent years, significant progress has been made in treatment strategies for intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is a highly heterogeneous patient population requiring tailored therapies based on tumor characteristics.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive review of treatment approaches for intermediate-stage HCC, highlighting the evolution of treatment options over time. While chemoembolization remains the standard therapy for many patients, it has advanced to include combinations with systemic therapies, known as combination therapy, which is becoming the new standard of care for this group.

Developing targeted therapeutics for hepatocellular carcinoma: a critical assessment of promising phase II agents.

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and the first for primary liver tumors. In recent years greater therapeutic advancement was represented by employment of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) either in monotherapy or in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

Areas Covered: Major attention was given to target therapies in the last couple of years, especially in those currently under phase II trials.

Immunotherapy vs Best Supportive Care for Patients With Hepatocellular Cancer With Child-Pugh B Dysfunction.

Importance: Whether patients with Child-Pugh class B (CP-B) cancer with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) benefit from active anticancer treatment vs best supportive care (BSC) is debated.

Objective: To evaluate the association of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based therapies vs BSC with overall survival (OS) of patients with uHCC and CP-B liver dysfunction.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This retrospective, multicenter, international clinical case series examined data of patients with CP-B with uHCC who were receiving first-line ICI-based regimens from September 2017 to December 2022 whose data were extracted from an international consortium and compared with a cohort of patients with CP-B receiving BSC.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Modern Context for an Ancient Disease.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide [...

Sarcopenia in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Pathogenesis and Management.

Background: Sarcopenia is almost constantly observed in patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Summary: Chronic liver disease represents a unique pathophysiological scenario in which sarcopenia develops and all factors involved in the pathogenesis should be taken into account for an appropriate management of the disease. No properly designed intervention studies on this topic are available and, thus, no effective strategies have been developed for clinical practice.