Host: Robert Mocharnuk, MD

Guest: Richard S. Finn, MD

Guest: Amit Singal, MD, MS

The majority of patients with HCC have advanced disease at diagnosis and aren’t candidates for potentially curative treatment options, such as resection, liver transplantation, or ablation. Advances in immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy are transforming the way clinicians treat and manage HCC, with immunotherapy treatment strategies now FDA approved in both the first- and second-line settings. Several combinations of immune checkpoint inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors with other targeted agents continue to be investigated in clinical trials. Results of many combination clinical trials have the potential to substantially alter the standard of care for patients with advanced HCC.

Additionally, immune checkpoint inhibitors come with a unique set of side effects or immune-related adverse events (irAEs) due to the increased activity of the immune system. These irAEs can involve multiple organs and although they are often mild, they can be severe, irreversible, or even life-threatening. It can be challenging for clinicians to understand how to best incorporate immune checkpoint inhibitors into current treatment strategies, including irAE management.

Liver cirrhosis and hepatic dysfunction often complicate treatment, which underscores the importance of coordinated care. Communication and collaboration through a multidisciplinary approach is vital to the treatment and management ...