A multicenter prospective study of TACE combined with lenvatinib and camrelizumab for hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombus

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) predicts a poor prognosis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of using lenvatinib and camrelizumab combined with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) to treat HCC with PVTT. METHODS: This was a single‐arm, open‐label, multicenter, and prospective study. Eligible patients with advanced HCC accompanied by PVTT were enrolled to receive TACE combined with lenvatinib and camrelizumab. The primary endpoint was progression‐free survival (PFS), while the secondary endpoints included objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), and safety. RESULTS: Between April 2020 and April 2022, 69 patients were successfully enrolled. With a median follow‐up time of 17.3 months, the median age of the patient cohort was 57 years (range: 49–64 years). According to modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, the ORR was 26.1% (18 partial responses [PRs]) and the DCR was 78.3% (18 PRs, 36 stable diseases [SDs]). The median PFS (mPFS) and median OS (mOS) were 9.3 and 18.2 months, respectively. And tumor number >3 was identified as an adverse risk factor for both PFS and OS. The most common adverse events across all grades included fatigue (50.7%), hypertension (46.4%), and diarrhea (43.5%). Twenty‐four patients (34.8%) experienced Grade 3 toxicity that was relieved by dose adjustment and symptomatic treatment. No treatment‐related deaths occurred. CONCLUSIONS: TACE combined with lenvatinib and camrelizumab is a well‐tolerated modality treatment with promising efficacy for advanced HCC with PVTT.