Comparison of Sorafenib and Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Propensity Score Matching Study

• Published in: Hepato-gastroenterology Vol. 61; no. 132; p. 885
• Main Authors: Shiozawa, Kazue, Watanabe, Manabu, Ikehara, Takashi, Kogame, Michio, Matsui, Teppei, Okano, Naoki, Kikuchi, Yoshinori, Nagai, Hidenari, Ishii, Koji, Makino, Hiroyuki, Igarashi, Yoshinori, Sumino, Yasukiyo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greece 01.06.2014
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Aged; Antineoplastic Agents - administration & dosage; Antineoplastic Agents - adverse effects; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - mortality; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - pathology; Chi-Square Distribution; Female; Hepatic Artery; Humans; Infusions, Intra-Arterial; Japan; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Liver Neoplasms - drug therapy; Liver Neoplasms - mortality; Liver Neoplasms - pathology; Male; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Neoplasm Staging; Niacinamide - administration & dosage; Niacinamide - adverse effects; Niacinamide - analogs & derivatives; Phenylurea Compounds - administration & dosage; Phenylurea Compounds - adverse effects; Propensity Score; Protein Kinase Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Protein Kinase Inhibitors - adverse effects; Retrospective Studies; Survival Rate; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Japan
• ISSN: 0172-6390
• DOI: 10.5754/hge14012

This prospective non-randomized controlled trial aimed to compare the efficacy of sorafenib vs hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Forty-seven patients treated with sorafenib (sorafenib group) and 77 patients treated with HAIC (HAIC group) were investigated retrospectively using propensity score matching (PSM) to minimize selection bias. The cumulative survival rate was investigated before and after PSM in each of the sorafenib and HAIC groups. The cumulative survival rate was compared between the sorafenib and HAIC groups, and among the TNM stage by the Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan (LCSGJ TNM stage). No significant difference was noted in overall survival (OS) between the sorafenib and HAIC groups regardless of before or after PSM. On comparison of the cumulative survival rate between the groups by the same LCSGJ TNM stage, significant prolongation of OS was noted in stage IVB only in the sorafenib group (p = 0.032) after PSM. It may be better to actively introduce sorafenib for stage IVB, i.e., patients with extrahepatic metastasis.