Journal of Liver Cancer

Review Articles

Systemic treatment strategies for combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma: current evidence and future direction: Jeesun Yoon; J Liver Cancer. 2026;26(1):45-54. Published online February 26, 2026; DOI: https://doi.org/10.17998/jlc.2026.02.24

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Combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CC) is a rare primary liver malignancy characterized by biphenotypic differentiation and marked biologic heterogeneity. Owing to its low incidence, diagnostic complexity, and lineage plasticity, standardized systemic treatment strategies remain undefined. Molecular and pathologic studies suggest a progenitor cell origin, with tumors exhibiting genomic, transcriptomic, and immunologic features overlapping with both hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. This heterogeneity contributes to variable therapeutic responsiveness and underscores the need for biologically informed treatment approaches. Current systemic treatment evidence is derived predominantly from retrospective analyses. Platinum-based cytotoxic chemotherapy has demonstrated modest but consistent clinical activity and remains the most commonly adopted palliative backbone. More recently, immunotherapy has shown encouraging anti-tumor activity, including combination strategies incorporating anti-angiogenic agents. Biomarker signals provide mechanistic rationale for immune-angiogenic therapeutic integration. Emerging platforms, including programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)/vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) bispecific antibodies, further expand the systemic treatment landscape. In parallel, multimodal strategies integrating locoregional interventions with systemic therapy are gaining traction, particularly for patients with liver-dominant disease. Despite these advances, prospective disease-specific trials remain lacking, and optimal therapeutic sequencing and patient selection strategies are yet to be defined. Future progress will depend on biomarker-driven trial design, incorporation of molecular lineage stratification, and rational combination approaches. A deeper understanding of the pathological and molecular architecture of cHCC-CC will be essential to establish optimized, disease-specific systemic treatment paradigms for this rare but clinically challenging malignancy.

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A Comprehensive Understanding of DCTPP1 as an Emerging Therapeutic Target in Liver Cancer
Hye In Ka, Se Ha Jang, Hyung Seok Kim, Hyun Sun Jung, Jung Woo Eun
Current Issues in Molecular Biology.2026; 48(8): 770. CrossRef

New systemic treatment options for advanced cholangiocarcinoma: Valentina Zanuso, Giulia Tesini, Elena Valenzi, Lorenza Rimassa; J Liver Cancer. 2024;24(2):155-170. Published online August 8, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.17998/jlc.2024.08.07

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Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a rare and aggressive cancer, mostly diagnosed at advanced or metastatic stage, at which point systemic treatment represents the only therapeutic option. Chemotherapy has been the backbone of advanced CCA treatment. More recently, immunotherapy has changed the therapeutic landscape, as immune checkpoint inhibitors have yielded the first improvement in survival and currently, the addition of either durvalumab or pembrolizumab to standard of care cisplatin plus gemcitabine represents the new first-line treatment option. However, the use of immunotherapy in subsequent lines has not demonstrated its efficacy and therefore, it is not approved, except for pembrolizumab in the selected microsatellite instability-high population. In addition, advances in comprehensive genomic profiling have led to the identification of targetable genetic alterations, such as isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1), fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), proto-oncogene B-Raf (BRAF), neurotrophic tropomyosin receptor kinase (NTRK), rearranged during transfection (RET), Kirsten rat sarcoma virus (KRAS), and mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2), thus favoring the development of a precision medicine approach in previously treated patients. Despite these advances, the use of molecularly driven agents is limited to a subgroup of patients. This review aims to provide an overview of the newly approved systemic therapies, the ongoing studies, and future research challenges in advanced CCA management.

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Taek Chung, Seungho Oh, Jeongsoo Won, Jiho Park, Jeong Eun Yoo, Ho Kyoung Hwang, Gi Hong Choi, Chang Moo Kang, Dai Hoon Han, Sangwoo Kim, Young Nyun Park
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Hyunjae Shin, Su Jong Yu
Journal of Liver Cancer.2025; 25(1): 19. CrossRef
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Validation of prognostic models for predicting postsurgical outcomes in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients using a multicenter cohort
Dong Hwan Kim, Sang Hyun Choi, Sehee Kim, Woohyung Lee, Hyung-Don Kim, Hyungjin Rhee, Eun-Suk Cho, Suk-Keu Yeom, Sumi Park, Seung Soo Lee, Mi-Suk Park
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The Antibody–Drug Conjugate Sacituzumab Govitecan (IMMU-132) Represents a Potential Novel Therapeutic Strategy in Cholangiocarcinoma
Racha Hosni, Niklas Klümper, Christine Sanders, Sana Hosni, Vittorio Branchi, Alexander Semaan, Abdullah Alajati, Natalie Pelusi, Susanna S. Ng, Damian J. Ralser, Saif-Eldin Abedellatif, Hanno Matthaei, Jörg Kalff, Jasmitha Boovadira Poonacha, Veronika Lu
Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.2025; 24(11): 1775. CrossRef
Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Perspectives of Gut Microbiota, Autophagy, and Apoptosis in Cholangiocarcinoma Pathophysiology
Viviana A. Ruiz-Pozo, Santiago Cadena-Ullauri, Patricia Guevara-Ramírez, Rafael Tamayo-Trujillo, Elius Paz-Cruz, Alejandro Cabrera-Andrade, Ana Karina Zambrano
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Lynn Affarah, Sreelakshmi Kotha, Philip Berry
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Zijie He, Yizhen Chen, Genglin Li, Jintao Wang, Yuxin Wang, Pengjie Tu, Yangyun Huang, Lilan Zhao, Xiaojie Pan, Hengrui Liu, Wenshu Chen
Cancers.2025; 18(1): 89. CrossRef
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Yong-Zhi Zhuang, Li-Quan Tong, Xue-Ying Sun
World Journal of Hepatology.2024; 16(11): 1219. CrossRef
Imaging findings of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma for prognosis prediction and treatment decision-making: a narrative review
Jun Gu Kang, Taek Chung, Dong Kyu Kim, Hyungjin Rhee
The Ewha Medical Journal.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Resectability and survival outcome in real world practice of 720 cholangiocarcinoma patients: intrahepatic, perihilar and distal cholangiocarcinoma.
Poowanai Sarkhampee, Weeris Ouransatien, Nithi Lertsawatvicha, Satsawat Chansitthichock, Paiwan Wattanarath
World Journal of Surgical Oncology.2024;[Epub] CrossRef

A multidisciplinary approach with immunotherapies for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: Yu Rim Lee; J Liver Cancer. 2023;23(2):316-329. Published online September 22, 2023; DOI: https://doi.org/10.17998/jlc.2023.09.04

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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly aggressive disease that is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage. Advanced HCC has limited treatment options and often has a poor prognosis. For the past decade, tyrosine kinase inhibitors have been the only treatments approved for advanced HCC that have shown overall survival (OS) benefits; however, but their clinical efficacy has been limited. Recent trials have demonstrated promising advancements in survival outcomes through immunotherapy-based treatments, such as combinations of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) with other ICIs, antiangiogenic drugs, and locoregional therapies. The atezolizumab-bevacizumab and durvalumab-tremelimumab (STRIDE) regimen has significantly improved survival rates as a first-line treatment and has become the new standard of care. Therefore, combined treatments for advanced HCC can result in better treatment outcomes owing to their synergistic effects, which requires a multidisciplinary approach. Ongoing studies are examining other therapeutic innovations that can improve disease control and OS rates. Despite improvements in the treatment of advanced HCC, further studies on the optimal treatment selection and sequences, biomarker identification, combination approaches with other therapies, and development of novel immunotherapy agents are required. This review presents the current treatment options and clinical data of the ICI-based combination immunotherapies for advanced HCC from a multidisciplinary perspective.

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Use of Single‐Cell Data and scPagwas Analysis to Identify T Cell Subsets and Construct a Prognostic Model for Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
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Low Tumor Burden Predicts Benefit from Transarterial Treatment in Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Extrahepatic Metastasis: A Nationwide Cohort Study
Jaejun Lee, Hyun Yang, Keungmo Yang, Ji Won Han, Pil Soo Sung, Jeong Won Jang, Si Hyun Bae
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Systemic Treatment of Advanced or Metastatic Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Joong-Won Park, Hark Kyun Kim; Journal of the Korean Liver Cancer Study Group. 2002;2(1):1-7. Published online July 31, 2002

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