A recent study led by Dr. Josep M. Llovet at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has demonstrated that combining transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with the systemic therapies lenvatinib and pembrolizumab significantly improves progression-free survival in patients with unresectable, non-metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Published in The Lancet, the “LEAP-012” trial indicates that this therapeutic combination may offer a new standard of care for intermediate-stage HCC, a disease that has seen limited advancements over the past two decades.
HCC, accounting for approximately 90% of primary liver cancers, often develops in individuals with chronic liver conditions such as viral hepatitis, heavy alcohol use, or metabolic-associated fatty liver disease. While TACE has been the standard treatment for intermediate-stage HCC, its benefits are often temporary, with many patients experiencing disease progression. The integration of lenvatinib, a targeted therapy that inhibits tumor growth signals, and pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy that enhances the immune system’s ability to combat cancer, with TACE has shown a statistically significant improvement in delaying disease progression. Ongoing research aims to confirm the overall survival benefits of this combination and explore its applicability to other stages of liver cancer. Click for More Details
