Outcomes of Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated With Durvalumab Plus Tremelimumab in Real‐World Clinical Practice Who Met or Did Not Meet the Inclusion Criteria for the Phase 3 HIMALAYA Trial

BACKGROUND AND AIM: This study evaluated clinical outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with durvalumab plus tremelimumab (Dur/Tre) in routine practice, stratified by whether they fulfilled the eligibility criteria of the phase 3 HIMALAYA trial. METHODS: A total of 412 patients with unresectable HCC receiving Dur/Tre at 30 Japanese institutions were enrolled. Of these, 92 fulfilled the HIMALAYA trial eligibility criteria (HIMALAYA group) and 320 did not (non-HIMALAYA group). RESULTS: (hazard ratio [HR], 0.780; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.612-0.993; p = 0.044) and portal vein invasion (HR, 1.509; 95% CI, 1.049-2.170; p = 0.027) as independent predictors of PFS. Median overall survival (OS) was 19.4 months in the HIMALAYA group versus 15.4 months in the non-HIMALAYA group (p = 0.014). Multivariable analysis showed Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≥ 1 (HR, 1.878; 95% CI, 1.253-2.814; p = 0.002) and albumin-bilirubin grade ≥ 2 (HR, 2.032; 95% CI, 1.319-3.318; p = 0.001) as independent determinants of OS. Any-grade endocrine dysfunction occurred in 13 (14.1%) and 21 (6.6%) patients (p = 0.030), with grade ≥ 3 events in 5 (5.4%) and 2 (0.6%), respectively (p = 0.007). Subgroup analysis suggested that non-HIMALAYA patients with ALBI grade 1 may have OS comparable to the HIMALAYA group. CONCLUSIONS: Patients fulfilling the HIMALAYA trial eligibility criteria and those who did not but had preserved hepatic function demonstrated favorable survival outcomes with Dur/Tre.