Application of Tivantinib for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis Study

OBJECTIVES: The efficacy of tivantinib may have some potential in treating MET-high hepatocellular carcinoma, and we aim to compare tivantinib with placebo for the treatment of MET-high hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: Several databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EBSCO, and EMbase have been systematically searched through March 2022, and we included studies regarding the treatment of MET-high hepatocellular carcinoma by using tivantinib versus placebo. RESULTS: We finally include three RCTs. In comparison with placebo for MET-high hepatocellular carcinoma, tivantinib reveals no significant influence on overall survival (P=0.21), progression-free survival (P=0.13), time to progression (P=0.38), or grade ≥3 anemia (P=0.50) but increases the incidence of grade ≥3 neutropenia (P=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Tivantinib may provide no additional benefits for MET-high hepatocellular carcinoma.