Opinion

Rachna T. Shroff on Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma – The ASCO Post

Rachna Shroff/X

Nov 10, 2024, 19:28

Rachna T. Shroff on Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma – The ASCO Post

The ASCO Post shared on X:

“Rachna T. Shroff, MD, MS, FASCO, on Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Anlotinib Plus Penpulimab vs Sorafenib”

Rachna T. Shroff on Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma - The ASCO Post

Summary

The Phase III APOLLO study, presented at ESMO 2024, evaluated the combination of penpulimab (anti-PD-1) and anlotinib (tyrosine kinase inhibitor) in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The study found that the combination significantly improved progression-free survival (6.9 months vs. 2.8 months) and overall survival (16.5 months vs. 13.2 months) compared to sorafenib. The safety profile was manageable, with similar rates of grade 3 or higher adverse events in both arms. However, the study’s applicability outside of China, where most patients had hepatitis B, remains uncertain. These results contrast with other global trials, but support the potential of TKI and anti-PD-1 combinations in HCC.

More posts featuring Rachna T. Shroff on oncodaily.com

Rachna T. Shroff is an Associate Director of Clinical Investigations and co-leader of the Gastrointestinal Clinical Research Team at the University of Arizona Cancer Center (UACC). She also is a professor with tenure in the Department of Medicine, the Chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology, the Medical Director for the Oncology Service Line, and the Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Research for the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson.

Prof. Shroff is the Hepatobiliary Subcommittee co-chair for the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG), Chair for GI ASCO 2024, and member of the ASCO Nominating Committee. Her clinical and research focus is the development of novel therapies for pancreatic and hepatobiliary cancers.