Background and aim: This study evaluated clinical outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (#HCC ) treated with #durvalumab plus #tremelimumab (Dur/Tre) in routine practice, stratified by whether they fulfilled the eligibility criteria of the phase 3 HIMALAYA trial.
Methods: A total of 412 patients with unresectable HCC receiving Dur/Tre at 30 Japanese institutions were enrolled. Of these, 92 fulfilled the HIMALAYA trial eligibility criteria (HIMALAYA group) and 320 did not (non-HIMALAYA group).
Results: Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.4 months in the HIMALAYA group and 3.0 months in the non-HIMALAYA group (p = 0.012). Multivariable analysis identified body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2 (hazard ratio [HR], 0.780; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.612-0.993; p = 0.044) and portal vein invasion (HR, 1.509; 95% CI, 1.049-2.170; p = 0.027) as independent predictors of PFS. Median overall survival (OS) was 19.4 months in the HIMALAYA group versus 15.4 months in the non-HIMALAYA group (p = 0.014). Multivariable analysis showed Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≥ 1 (HR, 1.878; 95% CI, 1.253-2.814; p = 0.002) and albumin-bilirubin grade ≥ 2 (HR, 2.032; 95% CI, 1.319-3.318; p = 0.001) as independent determinants of OS. Any-grade endocrine dysfunction occurred in 13 (14.1%) and 21 (6.6%) patients (p = 0.030), with grade ≥ 3 events in 5 (5.4%) and 2 (0.6%), respectively (p = 0.007). Subgroup analysis suggested that non-HIMALAYA patients with ALBI grade 1 may have OS comparable to the HIMALAYA group.
Conclusions: Patients fulfilling the HIMALAYA trial eligibility criteria and those who did not but had preserved hepatic function demonstrated favorable survival outcomes with Dur/Tre.