Significant Response to Camrelizumab Plus Targeted Drugs in Recurrent Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: a Case Report and Literature Review

PURPOSE: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is the second most common primary liver cancer, and is associated with a poor prognosis and rising incidence rate. METHODS: Here, we reported the case of a middle-aged Asian male who presented with a 9.5-cm liver lesion and was diagnosed with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. RESULTS: The patient experienced recurrence three times, twice following radical resection and standard adjuvant chemotherapy and once following camrelizumab plus apatinib, after which the tumor progressed with elevated CA 19.9 level. After tissue biopsy for next-generation sequencing, apatinib was replaced by lenvatinib, and the patient achieved disease control again, with a progression-free survival of 10 months. CONCLUSION: Combined immunotherapy and targeted therapy regimens are a promising approach for refractory intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Further well-designed prospective clinical trials are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety. Since intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is characterized by high heterogeneity and with complex crosstalk among oncogenic pathways, further exploration is required to more deeply understand the mechanism of action of this treatment approach and guide individualized treatment selection.