We conducted a prospective cohort study comparing the efficacy of PD-1-based adjuvant therapy and transarterial chemoembolization in patients with high-risk factors for recurrence undergoing radical surgery. After surgery, patients received the appropriate adjuvant therapy according to the type of high-risk recurrence factor. Patients with high-risk factors for recurrence who received PD-1-based adjuvant therapy were included in the exposure cohort; patients with high-risk factors for recurrence who received 1 TACE adjuvant therapy were included in the control cohort. The primary endpoint of this study was disease-free survival, and the overall survival and adverse events were considered as the second endpoint.
For the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, liver resection is still one of the optimal options, but the recurrence rate is as high as 70% five years after the operation, and the prognosis of patients with high-risk recurrence factors such as portal vein tumor thrombus and microvascular invasion is even worse, so it is particularly urgent to find effective postoperative adjuvant treatment. The role of PD-1 inhibitors in preventing the postoperative recurrence of HCC requires further study.