Recently, at the 23rd Annual Conference of the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS) held in Krakow, Poland, the team led by Professor Cao Dan from West China Hospital's Abdominal Oncology Ward presented an oral report. They announced the latest research findings from a prospective, randomized controlled trial investigating surufatinib combined with transarterial embolization (TAE) versus surufatinib monotherapy for the treatment of neuroendocrine tumor liver metastases.
Neuroendocrine tumors frequently metastasize to the liver, with approximately 20% of patients presenting with liver metastases at initial diagnosis, and an incidence rate reaching 50%-80% during the disease course. Optimizing treatment strategies for these liver metastases remains a critical clinical challenge requiring urgent solution. Surufatinib is currently a standard systemic treatment option for neuroendocrine tumors, while transarterial embolization (TAE) is an effective local treatment modality that leverages the anatomical characteristic of liver metastases being primarily supplied by the hepatic artery.
Relying on WCH's Neuroendocrine Tumor Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) platform, Professor Cao Dan's team conducted this study aiming to explore the synergistic effects of combining surufatinib with TAE. From February 2023 to January 2026, the study enrolled 76 patients. Preliminary analysis of 71 patients, presented at this conference, showed that the combination therapy group demonstrated superior objective response rate and 12-month progression-free survival rate compared to the surufatinib monotherapy group.
Preliminary results from this study have been previously selected for presentation at multiple top-tier academic conferences, including the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress, ENETS Annual Conferences, and the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) Annual Meeting. The release of these latest findings will provide more substantial evidence-based support for treatment decision-making in patients with unresectable neuroendocrine tumor liver metastases, showcasing China's clinical research capabilities in this field.
