Spatial immune scoring and prediction of HCC outcomes

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and a major cause of cancer-related death globally1. Potentially curative treatments for very early and early-stage HCC include surgical resection, liver transplantation, or local ablation. However, post-resection recurrence rates remain high, with up to 70% of patients experiencing recurrence within 5 years and no adjuvant treatments currently approved.2 In advanced-stage HCC, combination therapies with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment landscape and substantially improved patient outcomes, with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab or tremelimumab plus durvalumab currently approved as first-line options.