Phase 2 study of perioperative camrelizumab plus apatinib for hepatocellular carcinoma

The combination of immunotherapy and angiogenesis inhibition has shown promising activity in various types of malignancies. A phase 2 study at the University of Nanjing (China) evaluated the combination of camrelizumab and apatinib as perioperative therapy for resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Three neoadjuvant cycles, followed by surgery and eight adjuvant cycles showed promising efficacy and manageable toxicity. Dendritic cells infiltration might be a predictive marker of response to camrelizumab plus apatinib, while ctDNA could predict pathological response and relapse.