Clinical Complete Response After Conversion Therapy for Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Is Salvage Hepatectomy Necessary?

Abstract

Background This study aimed to determine whether salvage hepatectomy offers prognostic advantages for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) patients with clinical complete response (cCR) after conversion therapy. Methods A total of 74 consecutive uHCC patients with cCR after conversion therapy at seven major cancer centers in China between October 2018 and December 2021 were included. One-to-one propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to minimize the influence of potential confounders. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were compared between the surgical group and the non-surgical group. Results Before PSM, 45 patients received salvage hepatectomy, and 29 patients received nonsurgical treatment. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year DFS rates were 77.8%, 61.5%, and 61.5% in the surgical group and 81.2%, 60.9%, and 60.9% in the non-surgical group, respectively. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS rates were 92.9%, 92.9%, and 69.7% in the surgical group and 100%, 70%, and 70% in the non-surgical group, respectively. There were no statistical differences in DFS and OS between groups [hazard ratio (HR)=0.715, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.250–2.043, p=0.531; HR=0.980, 95% CI: 0.177–5.418, p=0.982, respectively]. After PSM, 26 pairs of patents were selected; there remained no significant differences in DFS and OS between these two groups (HR=1.547, 95% CI: 0.512–4.669, p=0.439; HR=1.024, 95% CI: 0.168–6.242, p=0.979, respectively). Conclusion Through the study, it tend to show that salvage hepatectomy may be not essential for uHCC patients with cCR, especially for patients with a high risk of surgical complications. Prospective trials with long term follow-up are warranted to evaluate this treatment option.