Purpose: To explore the efficacy and safety of sorafenib combined with transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in the treatment of intermediate-advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Methods: A total of 132 intermediate-advanced HCC patients were divided into two groups, namely, control group (n=66, TACE) and Sorafenib group (n=66, TACE combined with sorafenib). Then, the clinical efficacy and incidence rate of adverse reactions were compared s. Besides, the levels of tumor markers and liver function indicators were detected before and after treatment. Additionally, the survival of patients was followed up and recorded.
Results: The overall response rate (ORR) and clinical benefit rate (CBR) were significantly higher in Sorafenib group than those in control group. Both Sorafenib group and control group exhibited significantly lowered levels of serum AFP, CEA, CA125 and CA19-9 after treatment compared with those before treatment. In addition, such levels were prominently lower in Sorafenib group than those in control group after treatment. Compared with those before treatment, the levels of total bilirubin (TBil) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), liver function indexes, significantly rose, while the albumin (Alb) level had no obvious changes in the two groups after treatment. Besides, the liver function indexes displayed no statistically significant differences between the two groups after treatment. Based on the results of follow-up, the median overall survival (OS) and 3-year OS were 16.83 months and 25.8% in Sorafenib group and 12.48 months and 15.2% in control group, respectively.
Conclusion: Sorafenib combined with TACE achieves better clinical efficacy in the treatment of intermediate-advanced HCC in contrast with TACE alone, which is able to significantly reduce the levels of serum tumor markers and prolong the survival of patients, and results in tolerable adverse reactions.