TAF Monotherapy Versus ETV Combined With TAF on the Efficacy and Prognosis of Immunotherapy for Hepatitis B-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma

November 26, 2025 updated by: Chan Xie, Sun Yat-sen University

Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Clinical Study Comparing TAF Monotherapy Versus ETV Combined With TAF on the Efficacy and Prognosis of Immunotherapy for Hepatitis B-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Study Objective: To compare the efficacy and prognosis of systemic cancer therapy between TAF monotherapy and ETV plus TAF combination therapy in patients with unresectable, advanced hepatitis-B-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC).

Study Design: Prospective, interventional cohort study. Participants: Patients with histologically or radiologically confirmed unresectable, advanced HBV-HCC who are scheduled to receive immune-based systemic therapy at The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. Detailed inclusion/exclusion criteria are provided below.

Intervention: Enrolled participants will be assigned to receive either TAF monotherapy or ETV combined with TAF for HBV suppression.

Primary Outcome: Overall survival (OS) at 24 months after initiation of systemic therapy, compared between the two HBV-treatment strategies.

Secondary Outcomes: Decline in HBV DNA and HBsAg levels at 1, 3, 12 and 24 months.

Sample Size: 120 HCC patients (60 per arm). Statistical Analysis: All analyses will be performed with SPSS. Continuous variables will be tested for normality (Shapiro-Wilk). Normally distributed data are presented as mean ± SD; non-normally distributed data as median (IQR). Twenty-four-month OS will be estimated by Kaplan-Meier curves and compared with a Cox proportional-hazards model adjusted for age, BCLC stage, AFP level, and ICI regimen. PFS will be compared using the log-rank test; ORR and HBV DNA undetectable rate will be compared with χ² tests. Inverse-probability-of-treatment weighting (IPTW) will address selection bias, and multiple imputation will handle missing data.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

120

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age ≥ 18 years, positive HBsAg for ≥ 6 months, and HBV DNA ≥ 2,000 IU/mL within 2 weeks before enrollment;

    • Histologically or clinically confirmed unresectable or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma, Child-Pugh class A or B, ECOG performance status 0-1, and scheduled to receive systemic immunotherapy in the Department of Infectious Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University;

      • At least one measurable lesion that has either not undergone local therapy or has progressed after local therapy, as defined by modified RECIST (mRECIST); ④ Estimated life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks; ⑤ Signed informed consent form for study participation

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Co-infection with HCV or HIV; ② History of organ transplantation; ③ Presence of cardiac or renal insufficiency, or active autoimmune disease that constitutes a contraindication to immunotherapy.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Other: TAF Monotherapy
TAF monotherapy (TAF 25mg qd)
Drug: TAF monotherapy
TAF monotherapy (TAF 25 mg once daily)
Other: ETV Combined with TAF
ETV combined with TAF (ETV 0.5 mg qd +TAF 25 mg qd）
Drug: The arm will receive combination therapy (entecavir 0.5 mg once daily plus TAF 25 mg once daily); after HBV DNA becomes undetectable, the combination group will switch to TAF monotherapy.
Combination therapy (entecavir 0.5 mg once daily plus TAF 25 mg once daily)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
24-month overall survival (OS) after initiation of systemic therapy between TAF monotherapy and ETV plus TAF combination therapy in patients with unresectable, advanced HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma.
Time Frame: 24 months
24-month overall survival (OS)
24 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sun Yat-sen University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

December 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

September 30, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

September 30, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 19, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 26, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

November 28, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 28, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 26, 2025

Last Verified

November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • II2025-364-02

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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