Objective: To provide more evidence sources to the standard treatment for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, the writer analyze patients' time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) after patients receiving transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with sorafenib as a treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); observe the healing effect embolization combined with anti-angiogenic treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma; and also analyze treatment of security.
Methods: There are 36 patients, 33 male and 3 female had been Pathologically or clinical diagnosis. After receiving Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization (TACE) therapy, in the following 3 to 7 days, this group of patients continuously take sorafenib (brand name: Nexavar) (per tablet 200 mg), 2 tablets each time, 2 times a day. Every 4 to 8 weeks is called as one period of treatment. Referring to RECIST Evaluation, the writers mainly observe patients' tumor progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS), record adverse events. Using life table method to analyze survival rate, using Kaplan-Meier method to analyze all the survival curves.
Results: Till March, 2010, 14 of 36 evaluable patients died and 22 survive; the median time to tumor progression (mTTP) to 8.62 months (95%CI: 6.51-10.24 months); the median survival time (mOS) of 12.41 months (95%CI: 9.57-14.80 months). The overall survival rate to observation period is 61.1%; 36 patients had been studied, 22 survive. Among the survivals, there is no CR cases, and 1 case PR, 15 patients SD, 6 patients PD; disease control rate (DCR) (CR + PR + SD) is 44.4%. The side effects of taking Sorafenib mainly are hand-foot skin reaction, diarrhea, fatigue and loss of appetite. These side effects can be markedly eased after symptomatic treatment.
Conclusion: Combined with sorafenib treatment may give patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma a longer longevity and keep the disease in a steady state. This therapy can be added into the treatments to patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. The side effects of taking Sorafenib (Nexavar) could be stand.