Drug Combination provides extended life to Liver Cancer Patients

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer. HCC occurs most often in people with chronic liver diseases, such as cirrhosis caused by hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection. In the US, incidence rates of HCC per 100,000 persons are 13.6 in men and 4.7 in women.

A clinical trial evaluated the effectiveness of a drug called sorafenib plus hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy in HCC patients with portal vein thrombosis.

HCC is a type of liver cancer that can be very difficult to treat, especially when it has spread to other parts of the body. One of the ways in which HCC can spread is through the portal vein, which is a large blood vessel that carries blood from the intestines to the liver. When HCC spreads to the portal vein, it can form a clot, which is called portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT).

Sorafinib is a drug commonly used to treat advanced HCC. It is a type of targeted therapy that can help to slow the growth of cancer cells. However, the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma with major portal vein tumor thrombosis is dismal after standard treatment with sorafenib. Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) has been suggested for patients with HCC and major PVTT. It is a type of chemotherapy that is delivered directly to the liver, which can help to target the cancer cells more effectively.

Clinical Trial

The trial looked at two different treatment options for patients with HCC and PVTT. It compared the use of sorafenib plus hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) with sorafenib alone.

The clinical trial involved 64 patients with HCC and PVTT who were randomly assigned to receive either sorafenib plus HAIC or sorafenib alone. The outcomes to be measured were overall survival, objective response rate, progression-free survival, and safety.

Results

The results of the trial showed that the combination treatment of sorafenib plus HAIC was more effective than sorafenib alone.

Patients who received sorafenib plus HAIC had a longer overall survival time than those who received sorafenib alone. The median overall survival time for patients in the sorafenib plus HAIC group was 16.3 months, compared to 6.5 months for patients in the sorafenib alone group.

The combination treatment also had a higher response rate, which means that more patients had a reduction in the size of their tumors. The response rate for patients in the sorafenib plus HAIC group was 41%, compared to 3% for patients in the sorafenib alone group.

Additionally, the progression-free survival was 9 months in the sorafinib plus HAIC group vs 2.5 months in the sorafinib alone group.

Overall, the results of this trial suggest that the combination of sorafenib plus HAIC is a promising treatment option for patients with HCC and PVTT. This combination treatment can help to improve overall survival and increase the response rate, although it may also cause some minor side effects.

Conclusion

This clinical trial provides valuable information on the treatment of HCC with PVTT. Sorafenib plus HAIC appears to be a safe and effective treatment option for patients with this type of liver cancer. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with HCC, it's important to speak with a healthcare professional about the best treatment options available.
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