On July 3rd, at the 2025 European Society of Oncology Gastrointestinal Oncology Conference (ESMO GI 2025) held in Barcelona, Spain, Professor Han Guohong from Xi'an International Medical Center Hospital unveiled the core data of liver cancer research "TALENTACE" (NCT04712643) to the world for the first time, providing new clinical evidence for the field of liver cancer combination therapy.

The research has gained international authoritative recognition

The European Society of Oncology Gastrointestinal Oncology (ESMO GI) is a globally influential academic conference in the field of oncology. Its "Late Breaking Abstract" (LBA) section aims to publish research results with significant innovation and clinical impact, with strict selection criteria. As the only phase III clinical research LBA selected in the field of liver cancer treatment, the "TALENTACE" study reflects the international medical community's recognition of the scientific value and clinical significance of this research, as well as the gradual improvement of Chinese scholars' academic ability in the field of liver cancer clinical research.
Research Plan and Core Results

From the data, patients receiving combination therapy have a longer period of stable disease control. According to the RECICL standard evaluation, the proportion of tumors significantly reduced or well controlled in the combination therapy group was 80%, while in the TACE group alone it was 66%; According to the RECIST v1.1 standard evaluation, the combined group had a rate of 49% and the individual group had a rate of 34%. At present, the data on overall survival is not mature enough (only 38.6% of relevant events have been observed), but from an early perspective, there are different trends between the two groups, and further follow-up observation is needed.

Clinical value and significance

Professor Han Guohong said, 'Hepatic artery chemoembolization (TACE) is the standard treatment for mid-term liver cancer, but its efficacy is limited for moderate or high burden tumors, and there is an unmet clinical need for further clinical exploration.'.

With targeted immunotherapy (T A) becoming the first-line treatment for advanced liver cancer, the academic community has begun to explore its combination with TACE for mid-term liver cancer to enhance treatment efficacy. The TALENTACE study is an important attempt in this direction. This international multicenter randomized controlled trial compares the efficacy of TACE combined with T A regimen and TACE alone for moderate or high burden tumors. In the study, the "6-and-12 scoring criteria" established by Professor Han Guohong's team in 2019, as well as the "sum of maximum tumor diameter and tumor number ≥ 6" group of medium to high burden patients, were used. Its design is highly compatible with the characteristics and clinical practice of Chinese liver cancer patients, filling the treatment gap for patients with medium to high burden tumors (tumor burden ≥ 6). The results showed that the combination therapy can significantly prolong the disease progression time of patients and directly reflect their actual treatment needs. The effectiveness of this combination therapy indicates the potential of combining local and systemic treatment, which can provide an additional first-line treatment option for liver cancer patients with medium to high tumor burden, and provide new ideas and hope for the treatment of mid-term liver cancer.