Editorial
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Hepatol. Apr 27, 2024; 16(4): 490-493
Published online Apr 27, 2024. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v16.i4.490
Erdafitinib and checkpoint inhibitors for first-line and second-line immunotherapy of hepatic, gastrointestinal, and urinary bladder carcinomas: Recent concept
Mohamed Wishahi
Mohamed Wishahi, Department of Urology, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Cairo 12411, Egypt
Author contributions: Wishahi M wrote the manuscript, and read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author declares no conflict of interest of any kind in connection to the content of this work.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Mohamed Wishahi, MD, PhD, Professor, Surgical Oncologist, Department of Urology, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Embaba, Giza, Cairo 12411, Egypt. moh.weshahy@gmail.com
Received: November 21, 2023
Peer-review started: November 21, 2023
First decision: January 24, 2024
Revised: February 8, 2024
Accepted: March 26, 2024
Article in press: March 26, 2024
Published online: April 27, 2024
Processing time: 154 Days and 11 Hours
Abstract

Cancer immunotherapy is administered for first-line, second-line, neoadjuvant, or adjuvant treatment of advanced, metastatic, and recurrent cancer in the liver, gastrointestinal tract, and genitourinary tract, and other solid tumors. Erdafitinib is a fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitor, and it is an adenosine triphosphate competitive inhibitor of FGFR1, FGFR2, FGFR3, and FGFR4. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are monoclonal antibodies that block programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligand that exert intrinsic antitumor mechanisms. The promising results of first-line treatment of advanced and metastatic urothelial carcinoma with PD-1 blockades with single or combined agents, indicate a new concept in the treatment of advanced, metastatic, and recurrent hepatic and gastrointestinal carcinomas. Cancer immunotherapy as first-line treatment will improve overall survival and provide better quality of life. Debate is arising as to whether to apply the cancer immunotherapy as first-line treatment in invasive carcinomas, or as second-line treatment in recurrent or metastatic carcinoma following the standard chemotherapy. The literature in the field is not definite, and so far, there has been no consensus on the best approach in this situation. At present, as it is described in this editorial, the decision is applied on a case-by-case basis.

Keywords: Programmed cell death protein-ligand 1; Erdafitinib; Liver cancer; Fibroblast growth factor receptor inhibitors; Checkpoint inhibitors; Bladder cancer; Metastases

Core Tip: The promising results of first-line treatment of advanced and metastatic urothelial carcinoma with programmed cell death protein 1 blockades with single or combined agents, indicate a new concept in the treatment of advanced, metastatic, and recurrent hepatic and gastrointestinal carcinomas. Cancer immunotherapy as a first-line treatment will improve overall survival and quality of life. At present, cancer immunotherapy as first-line treatment in invasive carcinomas or as second-line treatment in recurrent or metastatic carcinoma following the standard chemotherapy is applied on a case-by-case basis.