Clinical trials

PD-1 inhibitor plus anti-VEGFR has become the established standard first-line systemic treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Despite an improved objective response rate (ORR) of around 30%, the majority of patients face HCC progression and liver failure. Developing a new combined treatment strategy to overcome resistance to anti-PD-L1 and anti-VEGF is essential to improve patient outcomes. Stereotactic radiotherapy (SBRT) can enhance immune response through various mechanisms, and its immunomodulatory effect has been confirmed in multiple solid tumors. However, due to the limitation of the OAR tolerance dose, large-volume tumors are unsuitable for SBRT treatment. To overcome this issue, researchers have introduced the spatially fractionated radiation therapy (SFRT) mode, which allows for a highly uneven radiation dose distribution within the tumor volume. SFRT is an emerging radiotherapy technique with high clinical response rates and low radiation-related toxicity in large-volume solid tumors. Therefore, the investigators conducted this single-arm, single-arm, open-label study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SFRT combined with PD-1 inhibitors and anti-VEGFR in unresectable HCC. The primary endpoint is objective response rate (ORR), and secondary endpoints include overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and toxicity.