Nivolumab as a Treatment for Hepatocellular Carcinoma |Biomedgrid

Hepatocellular carcinoma is responsible for high mortality and morbidity rates, being the third tumour responsible for cancer-related deaths worldwide. Current treatments for these tumours comprise surgery, chemoembolization, radiation treatments and targeted therapies, such as sorafenib. However, the survival rate of these patients is still very dim, highlighting the need for other therapeutic options, such as immunotherapy. As with many other tumours, there is an immune deregulation that occurs with hepatocellular carcinoma, resulting in a low expression of T effector cells, also due to the overexpression of immune checkpoints, such as PD-1. As such, PD-1 blockade using drugs like nivolumab is a good alternative to treat patients with liver cancer, with studies showing improved survival and progression free rates.