The summaries are free for public
use. The Chronic Liver Disease
Foundation will continue to add and
archive summaries of articles deemed
relevant to CLDF by the Board of
Trustees and its Advisors.
Abstract Details
Impact of age on toxicity and efficacy of sorafenib-targeted therapy in cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
Di Costanzo GG, Tortora R, De Luca M, Galeota Lanza A, Lampasi F, Tartaglione MT, Picciotto FP, Imparato M, Mattera S, Cordone G, Ascione A. Med Oncol. 2013 Mar;30(1):446. doi: 10.1007/s12032-012-0446-y. Epub 2013 Jan 10.
Source
Liver Unit, Cardarelli Hospital, Via A. Cardarelli 9, 80131, Naples, Italy, dicostanzogg@gmail.com.
Abstract
The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing worldwide and the proportion of older patients with HCC is expected to steadily rise in the next years. Sorafenib is the standard of care for patients with advanced HCC but there is a lack of detailed data on how older patients with cirrhosis tolerate this drug. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the impact of age on the effects of sorafenib-targeted therapy in patients with HCC and cirrhosis. We analyzed a consecutive cohort of HCC patients not eligible for surgery or locoregional treatment, with Child-Pugh score ≤7, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-1, treated with sorafenib. Clinical outcomes and treatment-related adverse events (AEs) were compared between younger (<70 years) and older (≥70 years) patients. Overall, 150 patients, 90 in the younger (median age 60 years) and 60 in the older (median age 72 years) group, were evaluated. Treatment duration was 4 months in both groups. The median time to progression and overall survival were longer in older than in younger group (12 vs. 8 months and 16 vs. 12 months, respectively), although the differences did not reach a statistical significance. Grade 3-4 AEs were more frequently observed in younger than in older group (15.7 vs. 9.2 %, respectively; p = .0146). In field practice, sorafenib treatment in elderly patients with cirrhosis and HCC resulted at least as effective and safe as in younger patients. However, severe AEs occurred more frequently in younger patients.