Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as programmed cell death protein 1(PD-1) and its ligand (PD-1/L1) inhibitors are being widely used in patients with advanced or unresectable HCC (Gordan et al., 2020). Here, PDCD1 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.