Combined Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy and Immunotherapy Versus Transarterial Chemoembolization in Locally Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

Immunotherapy has achieved modest clinical activity in HCC patients. Propensity score matching analysis was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of combined stereotactic SBRT-IO versus TACE in patients with locally advanced HCC in a tertiary center of Hong Kong. Patients with locally advanced HCC who were medically inoperable for, refractory to, or refused to curative surgical interventions were eligible. The primary outcome was PFS; the secondary outcomes were OS, ORR as per mRECIST version 1.1, and TRAEs. Matching pair analysis was performed to compare the clinical outcomes. A total of 226 patients were eligible. Approximately 16 patients in the SBRT-IO group were matched with 48 patients treated with TACE. The median tumor size was 10 cm (range: 2.9–19.6 cm) and 20.3% of the patients had portal vein invasion. The 12- and 24-month PFS were significantly better in the SBRT-IO group (93.3% vs 16.7% and 77.8% vs 2.1%, respectively, p <0.001); the 12- and 24-month OS were also better in the SBRT-IO arm (93.8% vs 31.3% and 80.4% vs 8.3%, respectively, p <0.001). The ORR was 87.5% (CR: 50%, PR: 37.5%) in SBRT-IO arm compared to 16.7% (CR: 2.4%, PR: 14.3%) in those receiving TACE alone (p <0.001). There were fewer ≥grade 3 TRAE (60.4% vs 18.8%, p = 0.004) and treatment discontinuations (25% vs 12.5%, p = 0.295) due to adverse events in the SBRT-IO arm. SBRT-IO had significant superior survival and less treatment toxicity than TACE in patients with locally advanced HCC. Our results provide rationale for studying this combination therapy in prospective randomized trials.