An interdisciplinary research team has demonstrated a durable and lasting response to a novel treatment—combined locoregional therapy and immunotherapy (LRT-IO)—for advanced liver cancer patients. The study marks the first investigation into the long-term outcomes for patients with locally advanced liver cancer receiving this treatment. The researchers identified key factors associated with a complete response, and found that this pioneering approach is safe, effective and sustainable.

The findings were recently published in JAMA Oncology. The team included researchers from the Department of Surgery and Department of Clinical Oncology, School of Clinical Medicine at the LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed).

Advanced liver cancer is often considered incurable, but it can sometimes be converted to a treatable stage through a combination of therapies, potentially leading to curative surgery.