Baseline Splenic Volume Outweighs Immuno-Modulated Size Changes with Regard to Survival Outcome in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma under Immunotherapy

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Splenic volume (SV) has been identified as a highly predictive parameter for prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Moreover, an association between immunotherapy and an increase in SV has been described for various types of cancer. In our cohort of patients with HCC under immunotherapy, SV was a highly predictive factor for overall survival at baseline and initial follow-up. Although a large proportion of patients (76%) showed an SV increase after the initiation of immunotherapy, this additional immuno-modulated SV change was negligible compared to long-standing changes in the splanchnic circulation in our patient cohort. ABSTRACT: Background: An association between immunotherapy and an increase in splenic volume (SV) has been described for various types of cancer. SV is also highly predictive of overall survival (OS) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We evaluated SV and its changes with regard to their prognostic influence in patients with HCC undergoing immunotherapy. Methods: All patients with HCC who received immunotherapy in first or subsequent lines at our tertiary care center between 2016 and 2021 were screened for eligibility. SV was assessed at baseline and follow-up using an AI-based tool for spleen segmentation. Patients were dichotomized into high and low SV based on the median value. Results: Fifty patients were included in the analysis. The median SV prior to treatment was 532 mL. The median OS of patients with high and low SV was 5.1 months and 18.1 months, respectively (p = 0.01). An increase in SV between treatment initiation and the first follow-up was observed in 28/37 (75.7%) patients with follow-up imaging available. This increase in itself was not prognostic for median OS (7.0 vs. 8.5 months, p = 0.73). However, patients with high absolute SV at the first follow-up continued to have impaired survival (4.0 months vs. 30.7 months, p = 0.004). Conclusion: High SV prior to and during treatment was a significant prognostic factor for impaired outcome. Although a large proportion of patients showed an SV increase after the initiation of immunotherapy, this additional immuno-modulated SV change was negligible compared to long-standing changes in the splanchnic circulation in patients with HCC.