3. Discussion
HBV-related HCC, HBV infection, HBV suppression, CHB infection, HCC, deaths
TUMOR RECURRENCE
HCC is a common cause of cancer-related deaths, and most cases are associated with HBV infection. Patients with HCC are at a high risk of tumor recurrence after surgical resection. Currently, there are no approved therapies for inhibiting tumor recurrence. In this study, our animal modeling data demonstrated that sequential combination treatment with rmIFN-α and anti-PD1 antibody led to a synergistic effect in HBV suppression and clearance. Our Phase I clinical study further suggested that sequential combination therapy with ropeginterferon alfa-2b and nivolumab was well tolerated. This combination therapy can facilitate the clearance of residual HBV infection and inhibit cancer recurrence in patients with HBV-related HCC after curative surgery.PD-L1 is often overexpressed during CHB infection [Type 1 IFNs, including IFN-α and beta (IFN-β), share the same receptor components and induce similar biological activities [