Cytokine Biomarkers May Inform First-Line Therapy Selection in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Key Clinical Summary:
- Design/Population: Prospective cytokine analysis of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors alone or in combination with bevacizumab as standard of care.
- Key Outcomes: Above-median baseline MIP-1β levels were associated with inferior outcomes. Patients with elevated baseline IL-6 and IL-12p40 had longer progression-free survival with immune checkpoint inhibitors plus bevacizumab versus immune checkpoint inhibitors alone. Bevacizumab attenuated on-treatment increases in several myeloid-associated cytokines, and treatment-associated reductions in IL-1Ra, IL-8, IL-18, and VEGF-A correlated with favorable outcomes.
- Clinical Relevance: Baseline myeloid-inflammatory signatures and dynamic cytokine modulation may help identify patients most likely to benefit from adding anti-VEGF therapy to immunotherapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, warranting prospective validation.
Catherine Wilbur, MD, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, discusses results from a prospective cytokine analysis of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors with or without bevacizumab.
Elevated baseline myeloid-inflammatory markers were associated with inferior outcomes, while specific cytokine profiles predicted improved progression-free survival with the addition of bevacizumab. These exploratory findings suggest circulating cytokines may help refine first-line treatment selection in hepatocellular carcinoma.
Source:
Wilbur HC, Zhao LX, Nakazawa M, et al. Baseline and dynamic cytokines as biomarkers for immune checkpoint and anti-VEGF therapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. ESMO Gastrointest Oncol. Published online: February 4, 2026. doi:10.1016/j.esmogo.2025.100273
