Changes in peripheral blood B cell levels predict overall survival in patients with advanced liver cancer treated with immune target inhibitors.

PD-1 inhibitors show efficacy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), yet overall outcomes remain poor. In this retrospective study of 258 advanced HCC patients treated between 2019 and 2024, peripheral blood B-cell dynamics were evaluated. Patients with higher B-cell proportions or absolute counts had significantly longer overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Multivariate analysis confirmed elevated B-cell proportion as an independent protective factor for OS. These results suggest that peripheral blood B-cell levels may serve as prognostic biomarkers for PD-1-based immunotherapy in advanced HCC.