Hepatitis Forums
Advanced Liver Disease Main Forums => Advanced Liver Disease => Topic started by: Hep Editors on September 16, 2019, 10:54:41 am
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The PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor Keytruda (pembrolizumab) offered improved response rates for people with advanced liver cancer, although survival improvements did not meet statistical thresholds, according to research presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting this week in Chicago. Another study showed that pairing Opdivo (nivolumab) with a different type of immunotherapy improved outcomes considerably.
Over years or decades, chronic hepatitis B or C, heavy alcohol use, fatty liver disease and other causes of liver injury can lead to the development of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of primary liver cancer. This type of cancer is often detected late and is difficult to treat. Liver cancer generally does not respond well to traditional chemotherapy. Keytruda and Opdivo, as well as a handful of targeted therapies that interfere with cell growth and blood vessel development, have recently been approved to treat this cancer.
For more...
https://www.hepmag.com/article/people-liver-cancer-can-benefit-checkpoint-immunotherapy