Characteristics of long-term survivors following sorafenib treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: report of a workshop at the 50th Annual Meeting of the Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan

Abstract

Background: Little data are available on the long-term survival of patients treated with sorafenib for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Summary: During a consensus workshop at the 50th annual meeting of the Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan held in Kyoto (June 5-6, 2014), experts met to discuss the characteristics of long-term (>3 years) survivors of advanced HCC following sorafenib treatment. A total of 70 long-term survivors following sorafenib treatment at eight institutions were included, and the long-term survival rate (>3 years) at each institution ranged from 2.6 to 6.9% (mean, 4.5). The long-term survival-related factors presented can be categorized as follows: (1) conversion options, including hepatic resection following successful sorafenib treatment, (2) additional salvage options when progressive disease is confirmed, (3) long-term sorafenib treatment, (4) effective post-sorafenib options to prolong postprogression survival, and (5) good pretreatment liver function. Sorafenib monotherapy exceeding 3 years is rare, and most of the patients receiving sorafenib required other treatment modalities in the form of multidisciplinary therapy.

Conclusion: The overview obtained from the workshop reflects the pattern of management in practice for long-term survivors following sorafenib treatment for HCC in Japan and may also provide valuable information for other countries.