de Mattos AA, Tovo CV, Bombassaro IZ, Ferreira LF. Current impact in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: The challenge remains. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2025; 17(3): 102932 [DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v17.i3.102932]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Luis F Ferreira, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Hepatology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, 245 Sarmento Leite Street, Porto Alegre 90050-170, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. proffernandof@gmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Letter to the Editor
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (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: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Mar 15, 2025; 17(3): 102932 Published online Mar 15, 2025. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v17.i3.102932
Current impact in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: The challenge remains
Angelo A de Mattos, Cristiane V Tovo, Isadora Z Bombassaro, Luis F Ferreira
Angelo A de Mattos, Cristiane V Tovo, Isadora Z Bombassaro, Luis F Ferreira, Department of Hepatology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre 90050-170, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Luis F Ferreira, School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Queen’s University of Belfast, Belfast BT9 5BN, Belfast, United Kingdom
Author contributions: de Mattos AA and Tovo CV conceptualized and designed the manuscript and critically reviewed the manuscript for important intellectual content; de Mattos AA, Tovo CV, Bombassaro IZ, and Ferreira LF wrote the manuscript; and all authors approved the final version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
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: Luis F Ferreira, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Hepatology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, 245 Sarmento Leite Street, Porto Alegre 90050-170, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. proffernandof@gmail.com
Received: November 4, 2024 Revised: December 11, 2024 Accepted: December 19, 2024 Published online: March 15, 2025 Processing time: 104 Days and 11.3 Hours
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma remains a significant cause of mortality worldwide, particularly among patients with liver cirrhosis. In most cases, surveillance in cirrhotic patients is neglected, leading to a diagnosis when the neoplasm is at an advanced stage. Within this context, Zhou et al carried out a network meta-analysis to demonstrate the effectiveness of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy, concluding that it is a superior approach compared to sorafenib and transarterial chemoembolization in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Unfortunately, the meta-analysis in question lacks methodological rigor, preventing the authors from making more definitive assertions. Additionally, we understand that transarterial chemoembolization, when properly indicated, is a highly effective therapeutic option, and that sorafenib, given the results of new therapies based on immune checkpoint inhibitors, is no longer the recommended drug for the treatment of these patients. Therefore, we believe the use of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy is increasingly limited and lacks strong scientific support.
Core Tip: Hepatocellular carcinoma remains a significant cause of mortality worldwide, particularly among patients with liver cirrhosis. In most cases, diagnosis is made at an advanced stage. Within this context, Zhou et al carried out a network meta-analysis to demonstrate the effectiveness of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy, concluding that it is a superior approach compared to sorafenib and transarterial chemoembolization in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Unfortunately, the meta-analysis in question lacks methodological rigor, preventing the authors from making more definitive assertions. In conclusion, we believe the use of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy is increasingly limited and lacks strong scientific support.
