About

Adam Burgoyne is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine. His research activities include clinical trials and translational research focused on hepatocellular carcinoma and other liver cancers. He has been involved as a principal investigator in studies such as a Phase I trial of a dual PI3K/BRD4 inhibitor for liver cancer treatment and has contributed to research on immune responses, systemic metastasis, and molecular features of hepatocellular carcinoma. His work encompasses the development and assessment of targeted therapies, imaging techniques for prognosis, and molecular profiling to improve understanding and treatment of liver and biliary tract cancers.

Research topics

• Internal medicine
• Medicine
• Oncology
• Pathology
• Gastroenterology
• Cancer research
• Biology
• Statistical physics
• Computational biology
• Genetics
• Virology
• Intensive care medicine
• General surgery
• Physics
• Surgery
• Immunology

Selected publications

• Cytoreductive Surgery in Patients With Metastatic Succinate Dehydrogenase‐Deficient Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors

  Journal of Surgical Oncology · 2026-04-20

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Succinate dehydrogenase-deficient (SDH-deficient) gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are characterized by variable disease biology with poor responses to traditional tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The role of surgical intervention has been highly debated. METHODS: We performed a single-institution retrospective analysis of metastatic SDH-deficient GIST patients who underwent complete (CC-0) cytoreductive surgery (CRS) from 2017 to 2023. Pathologic-Peritoneal Cancer Index (P-PCI) and GIST Metastatectomy-Surgical Complexity Score (GM-SCS) were used to quantify complexity. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis compared time to progression on systemic therapy immediately before CRS (TTP-1L) and second to last line of systemic therapy before CRS (TTP-2L) versus time to recurrence (TTR) after CRS. RESULTS: Nine patients met inclusion criteria. The median age at CRS was 29 years (range: 17-43). Median P-PCI was 13 (IQR: 10-15) and median GM-SCS was 19 (IQR: 16-28). Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ 3 complication rate was 33.3% (3/9) within 90-days postoperatively. Median TTP-1L was unreached and median TTP-2L was 3.4 months (95% CI: 2.5-unreached), as compared to TTR at 26.1 months (95% CI: 15.2-unreached) post CRS (p ≤ 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients who underwent CC-0 CRS achieved prolonged disease control versus prior systemic therapies, suggesting that CRS may be a management option for highly selected SDH-deficient GIST patients.

  PublisherDOI

• Hyperprogression and Systemic Metastasis of Cholangiocarcinoma after Histotripsy Therapy

  Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology · 2025-08-20 · 3 citations

  letter
  PublisherDOI

• Quantitative ultrasound assessment of transarterial radio-embolization treatment of LI-RADS 5 hepatocellular carcinoma

  The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America · 2025-04-01

  article

  This prospective pilot study examines feasibility of ultrasound (US) imaging methods to evaluate patients with known HCC prior to and after treatment with transarterial radioembolization (TARE). Quantitative backscatter US (QUS) and contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) were successfully performed in the tumor and background liver, using contrast-enhanced (CE) MRI as the reference. Scans were performed pre-TARE and at 6- and 12- or 24-weeks post treatment. Enrollment of 25 patients is planned, but in 15 patients to date (age 47–94, mean 71), all were MRI LI-RADS 5 with tumor diameters 2.1–13.8 cm, had uniformly cirrhotic background liver with low steatosis. Attenuation (AC), backscatter (BC) coefficients, and envelope statistics were computed, with results in the background liver very consistent between acquisition timepoints and patients. Tumor QUS was more heterogeneous but QUS tumor-background contrast was significant. Changes in tumor AC and/or BC post-TARE were significant for all but two patients but variable. Based on MRI data, some tumors may exhibit more delayed response to TARE, so examinations at additional timepoints as well as new patient recruitment are in process. All tumor boundaries corresponded well to CEUS and CE MRI to identify tumors, demarcate tumor size, and boundaries, as well as identify response to therapy.

  PublisherDOI

• Tiragolumab in combination with atezolizumab and bevacizumab in patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (MORPHEUS-Liver): a randomised, open-label, phase 1b–2, study

  The Lancet Oncology · 2025-01-21 · 54 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: PD-L1 and VEGF blockade with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab has been shown to improve survival in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. TIGIT is an immune checkpoint regulator implicated in many cancers, including unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Here, we evaluate the clinical activity and safety of the addition of tiragolumab, an anti-TIGIT monoclonal antibody, to atezolizumab plus bevacizumab. METHODS: This randomised, open-label, phase 1b-2 umbrella study was conducted at 26 centres across China, France, Israel, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, and the USA. Eligible patients were adults aged 18 years old or older with previously untreated locally advanced unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-1, Child-Pugh class A disease, and a life expectancy of at least 3 months. Eligible patients were randomly assigned (2:1) using permuted block randomisation to receive either tiragolumab 600 mg plus atezolizumab 1200 mg plus bevacizumab 15 mg/kg or atezolizumab 1200 mg plus bevacizumab 15 mg/kg, administered via intravenous infusion every 3 weeks on day 1 of each 21-day cycle. Patients received treatment until unacceptable toxic effects or loss of clinical benefit, whichever occurred first. The primary endpoint was objective response rate. Analysis of clinical activity was done in the efficacy-evaluable population (all patients who received at least one dose of each drug for their assigned treatment regimen) and safety was assessed in all patients who received any study treatment. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04524871, and is ongoing. FINDINGS: Between Aug 20, 2020, and Feb 10, 2022, we assessed 154 patients for eligibility and 59 eligible patients were randomly assigned to receive tiragolumab plus atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (n=41) or atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (n=18); one patient in the tiragolumab plus atezolizumab plus bevacizumab group experienced an adverse event before receiving any treatment and withdrew from the study. Median age was 65·0 years (IQR 61·0-73·0). 46 (79%) of 58 patients were male and 12 (21%) were female. Most patients were Asian (23 [40%]) or White (21 [36%]). At the time of clinical cutoff (Aug 21, 2023), median follow-up was 20·6 months (IQR 10·6-28·0) in the tiragolumab plus atezolizumab plus bevacizumab group and 14·0 months (4·2-18·5) in the atezolizumab plus bevacizumab group. The confirmed objective response rate was 43% (95% CI 27-59, n=17) in the tiragolumab plus atezolizumab plus bevacizumab group and 11% (1-35, n=2) in the atezolizumab plus bevacizumab group. All patients in both groups experienced an adverse event. The incidence of pruritis (20 [50%] of 40 patients vs three [17%] of 18 patients), arthralgia (13 [33%] vs two [11%]), and diarrhoea (12 [30%] vs one [6%]) was notably higher in the tiragolumab plus atezolizumab plus bevacizumab group than in the atezolizumab plus bevacizumab group, although these were mainly grade 1-2. The most common grade 3-4 adverse events were hypertension (six [15%] of 40 patients in the tiragolumab plus atezolizumab plus bevacizumab group vs two [11%] of 18 patients in the atezolizumab plus bevacizumab group), aspartate aminotransferase increased (three [8%] of 40 patients vs one [6%] of 18 patients), and proteinuria (two [5%] of 40 patients vs two [11%] of 18 patients). Serious adverse events occurred in 21 (53%) of 40 patients in the tiragolumab plus atezolizumab plus bevacizumab group and in ten (56%) of 18 patients in the atezolizumab plus bevacizumab group. Treatment-related deaths occurred in one patient in the tiragolumab plus atezolizumab plus bevacizumab group (due to cholestasis) and two patients in the atezolizumab plus bevacizumab group (due to oesophageal varices haemorrhage and upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage). The addition of tiragolumab to atezolizumab plus bevacizumab did not appear to result in a substantial worsening of treatment-related or immune-mediated adverse events, and no new safety signals were identified. INTERPRETATION: This signal-seeking study suggests that the addition of tiragolumab to atezolizumab and bevacizumab might be more clinically active than atezolizumab plus bevacizumab alone in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Based on these data, further study of combination tiragolumab plus atezolizumab plus bevacizumab is warranted. FUNDING: F Hoffmann-La Roche and Genentech.

  PublisherDOI

• Biliary Tract Cancers, Version 2.2025, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines In Oncology

  Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network · 2025-09-01 · 23 citations

  article

  The NCCN Guidelines for Biliary Tract Cancers (BTCs) provide recommendations for the evaluation and comprehensive care of patients with gallbladder cancer, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. The multidisciplinary panel of experts is convened at least once annually to review requests from internal and external entities as well as to evaluate new data on current and emerging therapies. This manuscript focuses on the adjuvant chemotherapy and chemoradiation treatment options for BTCs as well as the systemic treatment recommendations for patients with advanced BTCs.

  PublisherDOI

• Single Nuclei-Derived Molecular Subtypes of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors Correlate with Clinicopathologic Features and Predict Clinical Outcomes

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2025-04-22

  preprintOpen access

  ABSTRACT Historically, gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) has been subtyped by oncogenic driver mutations. However, tumors with the same mutational profile can have variable biology. To further explore the impact of molecular diversity on GIST biology, we performed single nucleus RNA sequencing on 16 primary GIST and utilized an integrated single cell atlas of the normal GI tract composed from multiple publicly available datasets to identify six distinct GIST cell states . We then statistically estimated the relative abundances of these profiles in bulk transcriptomic data. These were used to define six common GIST molecular subtypes based upon one or two predominant tumor cell states . We found that these molecular subtypes correlate with tumor locations, mutational profiles, and patient outcomes, and validated these subtypes in an independent international cohort. These molecular subtypes have the potential to be used for clinical prognostication for patients with GIST, identifying new therapeutic targets, and studying the cell of transformation of GIST.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Blood microbial DNA signature differentiates hepatocellular carcinoma from metastatic lesions

  eGastroenterology · 2025-08-01

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Durvalumab with or without bevacizumab with transarterial chemoembolisation in hepatocellular carcinoma (EMERALD-1): a multiregional, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study

  The Lancet · 2025-01-01 · 209 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Early Safety Results from the Phase 3b SIERRA Study of Durvalumab and Tremelimumab as First-Line Treatment for Participants with Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma and a Poor Prognosis

  Liver Cancer · 2025-12-18 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Introduction: Subgroups of people with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) are often excluded from clinical trials due to adverse prognostic factors. The SIERRA (NCT05883644) study assesses the efficacy and safety of STRIDE (Single Tremelimumab Regular Interval Durvalumab) in clinically relevant subgroups of uHCC with poorer prognosis, including participants with more decompensated hepatic function, worse performance status, or more advanced disease than the HIMALAYA (NCT03298451) study. Methods: SIERRA is a phase 3b, single-arm, multicenter study that enrolled participants with uHCC with: Child-Pugh (CP) class of B7 or B8 with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) 0-1, without main trunk portal vein thrombosis (PVT) (CP B7/B8 cohort); CP class A with ECOG PS 2, without main trunk PVT (ECOG PS 2 cohort); or CP class A with ECOG PS 0-1 with evidence of chronic main trunk PVT (Vp4 cohort). Participants received STRIDE (tremelimumab 300 mg plus durvalumab 1,500 mg once followed by durvalumab 1,500 mg every 4 weeks). This preplanned early safety analysis occurred once ∼60 participants had been followed for ≥6 months (data cutoff: September 27, 2024). Co-primary endpoints are incidence of grade 3/4 adverse events (AEs) possibly related to study treatment (PRAEs) within 6 months of treatment initiation and objective response rate. The study is ongoing. Results: = 19). Median (Q1-Q3) number of cycles of durvalumab was 4.0 (2.0-8.0). Incidence of grade 3/4 PRAEs occurring within 6 months of treatment was 19.4% (95% confidence interval, 12.1-28.6) overall. Incidence of serious AEs was 32.7%. PRAEs, leading to death, occurred in 2.0% of participants. Conclusion: The safety profile of STRIDE was manageable and consistent with the HIMALAYA study in participants with poorer prognosis than in HIMALAYA.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Abstract No. 49 Rates of Complete Pathologic Necrosis Among Locoregional Therapy Modalities for 3- to 5-cm Hepatocellular Carcinomas Undergoing Transplantation

  Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology · 2025-02-19

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• A Phase I study of a dual PI3K/BRD4 inhibitor, SF1126 in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma IDE: 74,551

  NIH · $750k · 2016–2020

Frequent coauthors

• Jason K. Sicklick

  University of California, San Diego

  70 shared

• Paul T. Fanta

  University of California, San Diego

  50 shared

• Michael C. Heinrich

  OHSU Knight Cancer Institute

  47 shared

• Chih‐Min Tang

  32 shared

• Christopher L. Corless

  University of Portland

  29 shared

• Hyunho Yoon

  Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center

  26 shared

• Sudeep Banerjee

  Arizona State University

  25 shared

• Razelle Kurzrock

  Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center

  23 shared

Labs

• Adam Burgoyne | UCSD ProfilesPI

Education

• Ph.D., Molecular and Computational Biology

  University of California, San Diego

  2005

• B.S., Molecular and Computational Biology

  University of California, San Diego

  1999