Journal of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (Nov 2023)

Prognosis Prediction of CRAFITY Score in HCC Undergoing TACE Combined with PD-(L)1 Inhibitors and Molecular Targeted Therapy

  • Hu ZX,
  • Xu XY,
  • Wang Z,
  • Huang JT,
  • Li WC,
  • Zhang S,
  • Shen J,
  • Zhong BY,
  • Zhu XL

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 10
pp. 2073 – 2082

Abstract

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Ze-Xin Hu,* Xiao-Yang Xu,* Ze Wang,* Jin-Tao Huang, Wan-Ci Li, Shuai Zhang, Jian Shen, Bin-Yan Zhong, Xiao-Li Zhu Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xiao-Li Zhu; Bin-Yan Zhong, Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 188 Shizi St, Suzhou, 215006, People’s Republic of China, Tel/Fax +86 512 67972173, Email [email protected]; [email protected]: The CRAFITY (C-reactive protein and alpha-fetoprotein in immunotherapy) score has demonstrated prognostic significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients undergoing immunotherapy. The study aimed to validate accuracy of CRAFITY score on predicting prognosis for patients with HCC treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with PD-(L)1 inhibitors and molecular targeted therapy.Methods: Eighty-five HCC patients who underwent TACE in combination with molecular targeted therapy (MTT) and PD-(L)1 Inhibitors were consecutively enrolled from November 2019 to November 2022. Patients were divided into CRAFITY 0 score (n=32), CRAFITY 1 score (n=31), and CRAFITY 2 score (n=22), respectively. The primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), and the secondary outcomes included tumor response rate and treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). Factors affecting survival were identified via Cox regression analysis.Results: The median overall survival (OS) for HCC patients with CRAFITY scores of 0, 1, and 2 was 33.4 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 27.1– 39.7), 34.5 months (95% CI: 23.1– 45.9), and 24.2 months (95% CI: 13.9– 39.3), respectively, there were statistical differences among the three groups (p< 0.05). The progression-free survival (PFS) was 14.1 months (95% CI: 10.0– 18.2), 14.1 months (95% CI: 9.0– 19.2), and 9.3 months (95% CI: 7.2– 11.4) for patients with CRAFITY scores of 1, 2, and 3, respectively, with a significant difference between the three groups (p< 0.05). In patients with CRAFITY scores of 1, 2, and 3, the disease control rates (DCR) were 94%, 84%, and 73%, respectively (p < 0.05), while the overall response rates (ORR) were 78.1%, 67.7%, and 59.1%, respectively (p = 0.318). A higher CRAFITY score showed a correlation with an increased frequency of fatigue and grade 3 fever (p< 0.05). Moreover, CRAFITY 2 score was an independent risk factor for both OS (HR = 2.610(1.281– 4.564), p = 0.014) and PFS (HR = 2.419(1.281– 4.564), p = 0.006).Conclusion: The CRAFITY score may provide an efficient predictive capacity for prognosis in HCC patients undergoing TACE combined with PD-(L)1 inhibitors and molecular targeted therapy.Keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma, transarterial chemoembolization, C‑reactive protein and alpha‑fetoprotein in immunotherapy score, PD-(L)1 inhibitors, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, combination therapy

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