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Progression-free HCC survival with sorafenib linked to low AFP, more adverse events
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A longer duration of progression-free survival on sorafenib therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma was associated with more adverse events, lower alpha-fetoprotein levels and fewer tumors with extrahepatic spread in a study presented at the International Liver Cancer Association Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Researchers reviewed the medical records of 351 consecutive patients (86.1% men) with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who received more than 6 weeks of therapy with sorafenib between June 2007 and March 2012. The median age of the cohort was 57 years, and median progression-free survival (PFS) was 4.1 months, with median overall survival, 9.4 months.
“The use of sorafenib was approved to help prolong the survival of patients with advanced HCC; however, the response observed to date is modest and varies among individuals,” the researchers wrote. “The aim of this study was to assess outcomes and predictive factors of sorafenib treatment.”
Patients with a PFS greater than 10 months had massive/infiltrative type cancer significantly less frequently than those with PFS less than 3 months (OR=0.3; P=.048). They also were less likely to have extraheptic metastasis (OR=0.2; P=.004). Those with longer PFS also had significantly lower serum alpha-fetoprotein levels (OR=5.2; P=.012) and were more prone to grade 3 dermatologic toxicity (35.4% of patients vs. 9.6% of those with PFS shorter than 3 months; P<.001). Grade 3 hematologic toxicity (35.4% vs. 15.7%; P=.09) also was numerically higher among those with PFS for more than 10 months.
Investigators said adverse events, including diarrhea (OR=7.0; P=.002) and hand-foot syndrome of grade 3 or 4 (OR=6.0; P=.029), were more common among patients with longer PFS.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
For more information:
Kim BH. P-132: Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Showing Long-Term Response to Sorafenib. Presented at: The International Liver Cancer Association Annual Conference 2013; Sept. 13-15, Washington, DC.