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Updated May 2026 · ClinicalTrials.gov

RECRUITINGPhase 2INTERVENTIONAL

Downstaging Protocol Containing Immunotherapy for HCC Beyond the Milan Criteria Before Liver Transplantation

A Prospective, Single-arm Study of Downstaging Protocol Containing Immunotherapy for HCC Beyond the Milan Criteria Before Liver Transplantation

Downstaging Protocol Containing Immunotherapy for HCC Beyond the Milan Criteria Before Liver Transplantation (NCT05475613) is a Phase 2 interventional studying Liver Transplantation and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, sponsored by Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.

Important: This information is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

About This Trial

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is the most common liver malignancy and the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Due to the shortage of donor organs and the risk of tumor recurrence after transplantation, the restrictive Milan criteria is the standard guideline for liver transplantation (LT) in patients with HCC and liver cirrhosis. The XXL study (Mazzaferro et al, 2020) is the first prospective trial validating that effective and sustained downstage therapy could expand the selection criteria and improve the prognosis of recipients with HCC beyond Milan criteria. However, the optimal DT protocol is poorly defined, especially in the Asian population. Recently, immunotherapies such as immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are revolutionizing the management of advanced HCC, the combination of the ICI and other treatment regimens (Anti-VEGF, locoregional therapies et al) produced superior results in patients with advanced-stage HCC compared to those with traditional therapeutic regimens. Therefore, we hypothesize an intensive downstage regimen containing immunotherapy could expand the selection criteria for HCC LT

What Stage of Research Is This?

Phase 2 trials evaluate whether a treatment actually works against Liver Transplantation and continue monitoring side effects. Phase 2 enrolls larger groups (typically 100–300 patients) and produces the first real efficacy signal. A successful Phase 2 readout is what unlocks the much larger Phase 3 confirmatory trials needed for FDA approval.

This trial is currently recruiting participants. The sponsor has registered the study with ClinicalTrials.gov as actively enrolling, which means new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can be considered for screening. Trial status can change between updates — confirm current recruiting status with the study contact before traveling for a screening visit.

Target enrollment of 59 participants puts this in the typical range for a Phase 2-style efficacy study or a moderate Phase 3 trial in a focused Liver Transplantation subpopulation. At this scale, the study has enough statistical power to detect a clear treatment effect but is not the largest cohort in the field.

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Who May Qualify: 1. Written willing to sign a consent form must be obtained prior to any screening procedures. Willing and able to comply with scheduled visits, treatment plan and laboratory tests. 2. Patients must have pathologically or cytologically or by radiological criteria proven hepatocellular carcinoma based on the AASLD practice guidelines 3. Patients with HCC must be beyond Milan criteria without extrahepatic metastases or lymph node metastases: 3.1 Patients without previous treatment: Barcelona clinic liver cancer B-C (China liver cancer stage IIb-IIIa) HCC with or without portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT 1-3 according to Japanese Vp classification). 3.2 Patients with late recurrent HCC: The recurrent HCC must be identified no less than 2 years after primary curative treatment (Resection or Radiofrequency, et al), and the recurrent lesions must be localized in the liver and beyond Milan criteria. 3.3 Patients with early recurrent HCC: The recurrent HCC must be identified within 2 years after primary curative treatment (R0 resection or radiofrequency, et al), and the primary tumor must be within Milan criteria, and the accumulating tumor burden(Primary tumor plus recurrent tumor) must be beyond Milan criteria. 4. Child-Pugh score≤7, with no encephalopathy. Ascites that diuretics can control are permitted in this study. 5. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Scale for Assessment of Patient Performance Status (PS score) ≤ 2; KPS score ≥60. 6. Have not received any immunotherapies 6 months before enrollment. 7. Adequate bone marrow, liver, and renal function. 8. The estimated survival before liver transplantation must be more than 12 weeks (Based on the Model for end-stage liver disease, MELD). 9. No other lethal malignancy outside the liver in the past 5 years, such as leukemia, lung cancer, melanoma, etc. 10. Patients with a history of hypertension should be well-controlled (\< 140/90 mmHg) on a regimen of anti-hypertensive therapy. ...See full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov Always talk to your doctor about whether this trial is right for you.

These are translations of the protocol\'s inclusion and exclusion criteria, simplified for patients and caregivers. The original clinical text appears below. Eligibility is ultimately confirmed by the trial site\'s screening process — this summary is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a final determination.

Original Eligibility Criteria

View original clinical language
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Written informed consent must be obtained prior to any screening procedures. Willing and able to comply with scheduled visits, treatment plan and laboratory tests. 2. Patients must have pathologically or cytologically or by radiological criteria proven hepatocellular carcinoma based on the AASLD practice guidelines 3. Patients with HCC must be beyond Milan criteria without extrahepatic metastases or lymph node metastases: 3.1 Patients without previous treatment: Barcelona clinic liver cancer B-C (China liver cancer stage IIb-IIIa) HCC with or without portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT 1-3 according to Japanese Vp classification). 3.2 Patients with late recurrent HCC: The recurrent HCC must be identified no less than 2 years after primary curative treatment (Resection or Radiofrequency, et al), and the recurrent lesions must be localized in the liver and beyond Milan criteria. 3.3 Patients with early recurrent HCC: The recurrent HCC must be identified within 2 years after primary curative treatment (R0 resection or radiofrequency, et al), and the primary tumor must be within Milan criteria, and the accumulating tumor burden(Primary tumor plus recurrent tumor) must be beyond Milan criteria. 4. Child-Pugh score≤7, with no encephalopathy. Ascites that diuretics can control are permitted in this study. 5. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Scale for Assessment of Patient Performance Status (PS score) ≤ 2; KPS score ≥60. 6. Have not received any immunotherapies 6 months before enrollment. 7. Adequate bone marrow, liver, and renal function. 8. The estimated survival before liver transplantation must be more than 12 weeks (Based on the Model for end-stage liver disease, MELD). 9. No other lethal malignancy outside the liver in the past 5 years, such as leukemia, lung cancer, melanoma, etc. 10. Patients with a history of hypertension should be well-controlled (\< 140/90 mmHg) on a regimen of anti-hypertensive therapy. 11. Both men and women enrolled in this trial must use adequate barrier birth control measures during the trial and 6 months after the completion of the trial. 12. Patients voluntarily joined the study and signed informed consent with good compliance and follow-up. Exclusion Criteria Participants who meet any of the following criteria are not eligible for this study: 1. Histologically/cytologically confirmed cholangiocellular carcinoma, mixed-type liver cancer, or other rare types of liver cancer; 2. Recurrent liver cancer with inadequate initial treatment (i.e., no complete remission or R0 resection); 3. Presence of uncontrollable systemic infections, alcoholism or drug abuse, organic diseases of the heart, lungs, or brain, uncontrolled psychiatric disorders, severe mental illnesses, HIV infection, active tuberculosis, etc.; 4. Presence of severe portal hypertension with a high bleeding risk as assessed by the investigator; 5. History of bleeding events due to portal hypertension in the past 6 months; 6. History of any life-threatening event in the past 6 months, including but not limited to acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular accidents, pulmonary embolism, major bleeding from other sites, etc.; 7. Severe splenomegaly or splenomegaly-induced neutropenia (ANC \< 1.5 × 10⁹/L) or thrombocytopenia (platelet count \< 50 × 10⁹/L); 8. History of grade III hepatic encephalopathy or clinical symptoms requiring long-term drainage of pleural effusion, ascites, pericardial effusion, etc.; 9. Uncontrolled hypertension, history of hypertensive crisis or hypertensive encephalopathy; 10. Severe pulmonary hypertension that cannot be controlled by medication; 11. Severe coagulopathy, or those receiving thrombolytic treatment or requiring continuous anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy for any reason; 12. History of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, etc.; 13. Major surgical procedure within 4 weeks before the first dose; History of severe allergy to any of the study drugs; 14. Female patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding; 15. Presence of severe psychiatric or psychological disorders.

Treatments Being Tested

PROCEDURE

Downstaging procedures containing immunotherapy

Anti-PD-1 inhibitor will be given every 3-4 weeks intravenously according to the manufacturer's instruction. Other combination regimens, such as locoregional therapies or targeted therapies will be given to patients according to the protocol decided by the multidisciplinary team of Centers.

PROCEDURE

Liver transplantation

Patients with successful downstaging therapy at the end of the observation phase will enroll and undergo liver transplantation unless major medical or oncological contraindications should occur during the waiting phase.

Locations (1)

Trial sites listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for this study. Site activation status can vary — confirm with the specific site before traveling for a screening visit.

Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial

Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT05475613), the sponsor (Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University), and the key eligibility criteria — to your next appointment. Your doctor can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria against your medical history, lab values, and current treatments to assess whether you are likely to qualify. They can also help you weigh whether trial participation makes sense alongside your existing care plan.

Useful questions to walk through together: What does the trial protocol require beyond standard care? How long is the active treatment phase, and how long is follow-up? Are there study visits at sites I can reach? Who pays for the trial-specific procedures, and who pays for standard-of-care portions? See our 25 questions to ask about clinical trials guide for a more complete checklist.

Authoritative Sources

The official record for this trial lives on ClinicalTrials.gov — the federal registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. For background on how this trial fits into the FDA approval pathway, see the FDA drug approval process. For oncology-specific guidance for patients considering trials, the National Cancer Institute publishes patient-oriented overviews. International trial registries are aggregated by the WHO ICTRP.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NCT05475613 clinical trial studying?

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is the most common liver malignancy and the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Due to the shortage of donor organs and the risk of tumor recurrence after transplantation, the restrictive Milan criteria is the standard guideline for liver transplantation (LT) in patients with HCC and liver cirrhosis. The XXL study (Mazzaferro et al, 2020) is the first prospective trial validating that effective and sustained downstage therapy could expand the selection criteria and improve the prognosis of recipients with HCC beyond Milan criteria. However, the optimal… The full protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and includes the primary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, and study endpoints.

Who can participate in NCT05475613?

Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.

How do I contact the trial site for NCT05475613?

Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.

Is participating in a clinical trial safe?

Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.

Where can I verify the data on this page?

Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.

How This Page Is Built

Every field on this page is pulled directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 — no estimates, no proxies. The plain-English eligibility translation is generated from the original protocol text and reviewed for fidelity to the underlying clinical criteria. The original clinical text remains visible in the collapsible section above so users and clinicians can verify the translation. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline and known limitations.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 record for NCT05475613. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT05475613. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov."

Medical disclaimer: This page is informational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

Last updated 2026-05-08 · Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.