In vivo modulating interactions between immune effector cells and tumor cells by bi-specific aptamer (Ap) is a promising strategy for cancer immunotherapy recently. However, it remains a technical challenge due...

Purpose This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) plus tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with a high risk of early recurrence after curative resection. Patients and Methods Patients from multiple centres were divided into postoperative adjuvant TACE with (n=57) or without (n=142) TKI administration groups. The disease-free survival (DFS) curve was depicted by the Kaplan–Meier method, and the difference between the two groups was tested using the log rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors for DFS. Additionally, three propensity score analyses were performed to minimise the potential confounding factors to facilitate a more reliable conclusion. Adverse events (AEs) were assessed according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0. Results The 1-and 2-year DFS rates of the TACE plus TKI treatment group were 45.5% and 34.9%, respectively, which were significantly better than those of the TACE alone group (26.8% and 18.3%, respectively). Multivariate analysis identified adjuvant TACE plus TKI treatment as an independent prognostic factor for DFS (hazard ratio: 0.611, 95% confidence interval: 0.408–0.915, P=0.017). Further analysis based on the various propensity score methods yielded similar results. Subgroup analysis showed that patients with tumour diameter ≥5 cm, tumour number <3, absence of hepatic vein tumour thrombus and bile duct tumour thrombus, ruptured tumours, and stage IIIB could benefit more from TACE plus TKI treatment (all P<0.05). Some patients (33.33%) experienced grade ≥3 AEs in the TACE plus TKI group. Conclusion TACE plus TKI treatment can reduce the incidence of early recurrence with tolerable adverse events in HCC patients at high risk of recurrence after hepatectomy and may be an appropriate option in postoperative anti-recurrence treatment.

Purpose The influence of resection margin (RM) width on the prognosis of solitary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) following anatomical resection (AR) has yet to be determined. Therefore, we conducted a real-world study to identify the optimal RM width and assess its impact on the outcomes of solitary HCC patients undergoing AR. Methods The data pertaining to patients diagnosed with solitary HCC who underwent AR between December 2012 and December 2015 were retrospectively collected. The optimal cutoff value for the width of the RM was determined using X-tile software. The Kaplan-Meier method was utilized to compare the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) between the narrow and wide RM groups. Additionally, propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to minimize potential bias in the data. Results Of the 1033 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 293 (28.4%) were categorized into the narrow RM group (≤4 mm) and 740 (71.6%) into the wide RM group (> 4mm). Before and after PSM, there were no significant differences in OS and DFS between the two groups (before PSM: OS, HR=0.78, P =0.071; DFS, HR=0.95, P =0.620; after PSM: OS, HR=0.77, P =0.150; DFS, HR=0.90, P =0.470). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that RM width was not an independent risk factor for DFS and OS both before and after PSM (all P >0.05). However, subgroup analyses revealed that patients with ALBI grade 1, absence of cirrhosis, and AJCC stage II significantly benefited from wide RM in OS (all P < 0.05). Similarly, patients without HBV infection and absence of cirrhosis also exhibited significant benefits from wide RM in DFS (both P < 0.05). Conclusion In patients with solitary HCC undergoing AR, the width of the RM does not appear to have a significant impact on their prognosis. However, in certain selected patients, a wider RM may confer benefits.