Sorafenib and entecavir: the dioscuri of treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma?

World J Gastroenterol. 2013;19(14):2141-3. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i14.2141.

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is responsible for 50%-80% of cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide. Entecavir (ET) is a potent inhibitor of chronic HBV-DNA polymerase, inhibiting both the priming and elongation steps of viral DNA replication. Sorafenib (SO) has proven efficacy in prolonging survival in patients with advanced HCC. In this frontier report we discuss a possible way to optimize treatment outcomes in patients with HBV and HCC by treatment with ET and SO, on the basis of our practice and published evidence from the literature.

Keywords: Entecavir; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Liver function; Sorafenib.

Publication types

  • Editorial

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / drug therapy*
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / mortality
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / virology
  • Female
  • Guanine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Guanine / therapeutic use
  • Hepatitis B / complications
  • Hepatitis B / diagnosis
  • Hepatitis B / drug therapy*
  • Hepatitis B / mortality
  • Humans
  • Liver Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Liver Neoplasms / mortality
  • Liver Neoplasms / pathology
  • Liver Neoplasms / virology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Niacinamide / analogs & derivatives*
  • Niacinamide / therapeutic use
  • Phenylurea Compounds / therapeutic use*
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Sorafenib
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Antiviral Agents
  • Phenylurea Compounds
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Niacinamide
  • entecavir
  • Guanine
  • Sorafenib