Evaluation of Immune Responses and Outcomes in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Radiotherapy

Progression free survival (PFS)

Radiation therapy (RT) is a highly effective modality for managing localized solid tumors and
 has become a fundamental component of treating unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
 Our previous preclinical investigation (Hsieh et al., Science Immunology 2022) revealed that
 RT can initiate immunogenic cell death and facilitate the cross-presentation of tumor
 antigens by antigen-presenting cells, thereby augmenting systemic anti-tumor T cell responses
 in murine tumor models. However, this immune response subsequent to irradiation has not been
 comprehensively evaluated in clinical trials involving HCC patients. Given that RT represents
 a standard therapeutic approach for unresectable HCC, our ongoing phase II non-randomized
 trial aims to prospectively assess immunological responses and dose-volumetric parameters,
 while identifying predictors of clinical outcomes in patients undergoing definitive RT for
 HCC.