title: Sorafenib combined with cryoablation to treat unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of sorafenib combined with cryoablation in treating unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with unresectable advanced HCC received cryoablation and sorafenib at a dose of 400 mg twice daily in 4-week cycles on the same day of the cryoablation. Tumor response, median overall survival and the median time to radiological progression were calculated and the toxicity was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-eight patients with unresectable HCC were involved in this study. The median age was 52 years (range, 22-81 years). The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status scores were 0 (39.7%), 1 (55.1%), and 2 (5.1%). Nine (11.5%) patients were at Barcelona clinic liver cancer (BCLC) stage A, twenty-four (30.8%) patients were at stage B and 45 (57.7%) patients were at stage C. Five (6.4%) achieved partial responses, and 34 (43.6%) achieved stable disease. The median time to progression (TTP) for all enrolled patients was 6.6 months and the median overall survival (OS) was 12.2 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cryoablation combined with sorafenib demonstrates good efficacy and acceptable tolerability in treating unresectable advanced HCC patients.
authors: Department of Interventional Therapy, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300060, China.
authors: Hong
authors: H
authors: Ni
authors: Mao
authors: M
authors: Yang
authors: Zhi
authors: Z
authors: Guo
authors: Ti
authors: T
authors: Zhang
keywords: Cryoablation; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Sorafenib; Unresectable