Recently, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) released updated guidelines for the systematic treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. These guidelines systematically reviewed data from phase III randomized controlled clinical trials published between 2007 and 2020 targeting advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Following discussions by the guideline expert panel, a systematic treatment plan from first-line to multi-line therapies was established, providing international reference standards for clinicians.Professor Andrew X. Zhu of Harvard Medical School and Director of Jiahui International Cancer Center participated in developing these guidelines.
Founded in 1964, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is a leading global professional academic organization for oncologists. It is dedicated to preventing cancer and improving cancer diagnosis and treatment services.It develops clinical practice guidelines for various cancers, providing clinicians with international diagnostic and treatment standards to enhance patient outcomes. Current guidelines cover breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancers, genitourinary tumors, head and neck cancers, hematologic malignancies, and lung cancer. Both patients and physicians can access the evidence-based medical research underpinning each guideline.
Professor Zhu Xiuxuan has long been engaged in clinical research on hepatobiliary tumors. He is a professor at Harvard Medical School and formerly served as Director of the Liver Cancer Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. He currently holds positions as Director of the Oncology Center and Director of Clinical Research at Shanghai JiHui International Hospital. His achievements in digestive system malignancies, particularly in hepatobiliary fields, have repeatedly redefined global treatment guidelines for these areas, establishing them as standards for oncologists worldwide.In May this year, Professor Zhu and colleagues published the Phase III results of the IMbrave150 study in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). The combination of the PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab with the anti-angiogenic agent bevacizumab demonstrated success in first-line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma,setting a new benchmark for first-line treatment of advanced liver cancer. The updated ASCO guidelines for systemic therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma recommend this combination (atezolizumab plus bevacizumab) as the first-line treatment for advanced HCC patients. This regimen has also received formal approval from both the U.S. FDA and China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) as a first-line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.
Professor Zhu Xiuxuan
At JiHui International Cancer Center, Professor Zhu Xiuxuan leads a team dedicated to providing patients with internationally standardized, evidence-based anticancer diagnosis and treatment services. Under Professor Zhu's leadership, clinical research on hepatobiliary malignancies will continue at JiHui International Hospital, aiming to benefit more cancer patients sooner.