This is an open-label, single-arm, phase 2 study evaluating hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) combined with lenvatinib and cadonilimab as conversion therapy for initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The primary objective is to assess the conversion rate, defined as the proportion of participants who are deemed amenable to curative-intent treatment by the multidisciplinary team (MDT), including R0 resection, curative ablation, or liver transplantation, after study treatment. Secondary objectives include curative-intent intervention rate, tumor response, survival outcomes, safety, pathological response, and exploratory tissue and blood biomarkers.
Hepatocellular carcinoma is frequently diagnosed at an unresectable stage, and effective conversion strategies are needed to increase the chance of subsequent curative-intent treatment. This study is a prospective, open-label, single-arm, phase 2 trial evaluating HAIC-FOLFOX combined with lenvatinib and cadonilimab in participants with initially unresectable HCC. Eligible participants will receive HAIC-FOLFOX every 3 weeks, lenvatinib orally once daily, and cadonilimab intravenously every 3 weeks. Tumor response and resectability will be evaluated during treatment by a multidisciplinary team (MDT). Curative-intent treatment includes R0 resection, curative ablation, or liver transplantation. The primary endpoint is conversion rate, defined as the proportion of participants who are deemed amenable to curative-intent treatment by the MDT after study treatment. Secondary endpoints include the curative-intent intervention rate, objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), time to progression (TTP), time to response (TTR), duration of response (DoR), safety, pathological complete response (pCR), major pathological response (MPR), and exploratory tissue and blood biomarkers. Participants will be followed for up to 2 years.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
42
Administration of oxaliplatin, leucovorin, and fluorouracil via the tumor-feeding hepatic artery every 3 weeks.
Lenvatinib administered orally once daily at 8 mg for participants weighing ≤60 kg or 12 mg for participants weighing \>60 kg.
Cadonilimab administered intravenously at 10 mg/kg every 3 weeks.
Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Wuhan, Hubei, China
Conversion rate
Proportion of participants who are deemed amenable to curative-intent treatment by the multidisciplinary team (MDT), including R0 resection, curative ablation, or liver transplantation, after study treatment. Conversion success will be confirmed only when MDT-defined amenability to curative-intent treatment is maintained for at least 2 months, unless curative-intent treatment is actually performed earlier.
Time frame: From the date of first treatment to confirmed MDT assessment of amenability to curative-intent treatment, assessed up to 2 years
Curative-intent intervention rate
Proportion of participants who actually undergo curative-intent treatment, including R0 resection, curative ablation, or liver transplantation, after study treatment.
Time frame: From the date of first treatment to receipt of curative-intent treatment, assessed up to 2 years
Overall response rate (ORR) by mRECIST
Proportion of participants with a best overall response of complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) according to mRECIST during study treatment and follow-up.
Time frame: Best overall response from the date of first treatment until radiographic disease progression, start of new anti-cancer therapy, death, withdrawal, or end of study, assessed up to 2 years
Overall response rate (ORR) by RECIST 1.1
Proportion of participants with a best overall response of complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) according to RECIST version 1.1 during study treatment and follow-up.
Time frame: Best overall response from the date of first treatment until radiographic disease progression, start of new anti-cancer therapy, death, withdrawal, or end of study, assessed up to 2 years
Disease control rate (DCR) by mRECIST
Proportion of participants with a best overall response of complete response (CR), partial response (PR), or stable disease (SD) according to mRECIST during study treatment and follow-up.
Time frame: Best overall response from the date of first treatment until radiographic disease progression, start of new anti-cancer therapy, death, withdrawal, or end of study, assessed up to 2 years
Disease control rate (DCR) by RECIST 1.1
Proportion of participants with a best overall response of complete response (CR), partial response (PR), or stable disease (SD) according to RECIST version 1.1 during study treatment and follow-up.
Time frame: Best overall response from the date of first treatment until radiographic disease progression, start of new anti-cancer therapy, death, withdrawal, or end of study, assessed up to 2 years
Overall survival (OS)
OS is measured from the date of first treatment to the date of death from any cause. Participants alive or lost to follow-up will be censored at the date they were last known to be alive.
Time frame: From the date of first treatment to the date of death from any cause, assessed up to 2 years
Progression-free survival (PFS) by mRECIST
PFS is measured from the date of first treatment to radiographically documented disease progression according to mRECIST or death from any cause, whichever occurs first. Participants alive and without disease progression or lost to follow-up will be censored at the date of their last radiographic assessment.
Time frame: From the date of first treatment to radiographically documented progression according to mRECIST or death from any cause, whichever occurs first, assessed up to 2 years
Time to progression (TTP) by mRECIST
TTP is measured from the date of first treatment to radiographically documented disease progression according to mRECIST. Death from any cause without prior radiographic progression will not be counted as an event.
Time frame: From the date of first treatment to radiographically documented progression according to mRECIST, assessed up to 2 years
Time to response (TTR) by mRECIST
Time to response (TTR) is defined, among participants who achieve an objective response, as the time from the date of first treatment to the date of first documented complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) according to mRECIST.
Time frame: From the date of first treatment to the date of first documented CR or PR according to mRECIST, assessed up to 2 years
Duration of response (DoR) by mRECIST
DoR is defined for responders only and is measured from the date of first documented complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) according to mRECIST to the date of first documented disease progression according to mRECIST or death from any cause, whichever occurs first.
Time frame: From the date of first documented CR or PR according to mRECIST to first documented progression or death from any cause, assessed up to 2 years
Incidence of treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs)
Incidence, nature, and severity of adverse events graded according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTCAE), version 5.0.
Time frame: From the date of first treatment to 90 days after last study treatment, assessed up to 2 years and 90 days
Pathological complete response (pCR)
pCR is defined as no residual viable tumor cells in resected or explanted tumor specimens. This outcome will be assessed only in participants with evaluable pathological specimens obtained at curative-intent surgery or liver transplantation.
Time frame: At the time of curative-intent resection or liver transplantation, assessed up to 2 years
Major pathological response (MPR)
MPR is defined as residual viable tumor cells ≤10% in resected or explanted tumor specimens. This outcome will be assessed only in participants with evaluable pathological specimens obtained at curative-intent surgery or liver transplantation.
Time frame: At the time of curative-intent resection or liver transplantation, assessed up to 2 years
Exploratory tissue and blood biomarkers associated with treatment response
Exploratory analysis of baseline and on-treatment tissue and blood biomarkers associated with conversion success, treatment response, and survival outcomes.
Time frame: Baseline, at confirmed conversion success if applicable, at curative-intent surgery if applicable, and at disease progression, assessed up to 2 years
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