Yarchoan Discusses Sequencing Treatment Options for Patients With HCC

Mark Yarchoan, MD, medical oncologist, John Hopkins Medicine, explains his method for sequencing available treatment options for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

There is no correct answer to the question of what the best second-line treatment is for HCC. This is because more data are needed on most of the available agents. Previously, many of these drugs were studied when the only first-line drug available was sorafenib (Nexavar).

Immunotherapy will continue to play some role in the treatment of HCC because there is a group of patients who respond well to anti—PD-1 therapy and some can have disease control for years. The majority of patients, however, do not respond to anti–PD-1 therapy, so it should only be considered for patients who progress on first-line therapy and are reluctant to take another tyrosine kinase inhibitor because of toxicity.