Scholarlink

Background and objective <p>Conversion or downstaging therapy for intermediate and advanced unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has emerged as a major focus of clinical practice and research in recent years. This study aims to investigate the current clinical application of conversion therapy in China and determine the factors that physicians consider when selecting eligible patients for conversion therapy and choosing the appropriate conversion modality.</p> Methods <p>Physicians who met predefined inclusion criteria were invited to complete an online questionnaire between January and July 2024. The collected data were subsequently pooled and analyzed descriptively.</p> Results <p>A total of 120 valid questionnaires were gathered, mainly from surgical (<i>n</i> = 83, 69.2%) and interventional (<i>n</i> = 37, 30.8%) departments. The survey revealed that approximately 51% of CNLC stage Ib-IIIa patients were selected for conversion or downstaging treatment. Three primary factors were prioritized by physicians for the determination of conversion therapy: portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) type (116/120, 97%), future liver volume (108/120, 90%), and Child–Pugh classification (108/120, 90%). Currently, the predominant conversion therapy approach involves a combination of local and systemic therapies, which is utilized in approximately 73% of cases. Among systemic treatments, the combination of lenvatinib and immunotherapy is the most widely adopted. Besides, a higher objective response rate (ORR) was the foremost consideration for 83% (99/120) of physicians, followed by rapid response (82/120, 68%), adherence to guidelines and consensus (76/120, 63%), and lower tumor progression rate (70/120, 58%).</p> Conclusion <p>This survey demonstrated the current status of conversion therapy for HCC in China. Over half of the newly diagnosed HCC patients were eligible for treatment modalities aimed at achieving surgical resection through conversion therapy, and the most popular indications were the presence of PVTT, insufficient FLR and Child–Pugh classification.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Physicians’ perceptions of HCC conversion/downstaging therapy: a nationwide survey among tertiary hospital physicians in China

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月7日

查看全文
  • Xinyu Bi,
  • Xiao Liang,
  • Guang Tan,
  • Hai-Tao Zhao,
  • Tao Huang,
  • Ming Zhao,
  • Jinzhang Chen,
  • Xiao-Dong Zhu,
  • Jianfeng Xue,
  • Hui-Chuan Sun,
  • Jianqiang Cai

摘要

Background and objective

Conversion or downstaging therapy for intermediate and advanced unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has emerged as a major focus of clinical practice and research in recent years. This study aims to investigate the current clinical application of conversion therapy in China and determine the factors that physicians consider when selecting eligible patients for conversion therapy and choosing the appropriate conversion modality.

Methods

Physicians who met predefined inclusion criteria were invited to complete an online questionnaire between January and July 2024. The collected data were subsequently pooled and analyzed descriptively.

Results

A total of 120 valid questionnaires were gathered, mainly from surgical (n = 83, 69.2%) and interventional (n = 37, 30.8%) departments. The survey revealed that approximately 51% of CNLC stage Ib-IIIa patients were selected for conversion or downstaging treatment. Three primary factors were prioritized by physicians for the determination of conversion therapy: portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) type (116/120, 97%), future liver volume (108/120, 90%), and Child–Pugh classification (108/120, 90%). Currently, the predominant conversion therapy approach involves a combination of local and systemic therapies, which is utilized in approximately 73% of cases. Among systemic treatments, the combination of lenvatinib and immunotherapy is the most widely adopted. Besides, a higher objective response rate (ORR) was the foremost consideration for 83% (99/120) of physicians, followed by rapid response (82/120, 68%), adherence to guidelines and consensus (76/120, 63%), and lower tumor progression rate (70/120, 58%).

Conclusion

This survey demonstrated the current status of conversion therapy for HCC in China. Over half of the newly diagnosed HCC patients were eligible for treatment modalities aimed at achieving surgical resection through conversion therapy, and the most popular indications were the presence of PVTT, insufficient FLR and Child–Pugh classification.