Sorafenib therapy in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in advanced liver cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Sorafenib has become the treatment standard for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It is not clear whether patients with advanced liver function impairment (Child B) and patients undergoing additional locoregional therapy may tolerate treatment with sorafenib and benefit. We aimed to evaluate the tolerability and efficiency of sorafenib in patients with advanced HCC and different stages of liver cirrhosis, and in combination with locoregional therapy.

METHODS

In 50 patients with advanced HCC treated with sorafenib tolerability and efficiency of the therapy with respect to stage of liver cirrhosis, existence of extrahepatic tumor spread, and additional locoregional therapy were evaluated.

RESULTS

Fifty patients with advanced HCC were treated with sorafenib, and 13 received additional locoregional therapy. Tolerability of the systemic treatment was moderate in all patients, with no significant differences between the subgroups, while the median survival was better in patients with Child A than Child B cirrhosis.

CONCLUSION

Tolerability and toxicity of a systemic treatment with sorafenib are moderate in patients with liver cirrhosis in Child A or B. Prospective randomized studies are required to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of combined systemic and locoregional treatment approaches in patients with advanced HCC.