title: The role of LDH serum levels in predicting global outcome in HCC patients treated with sorafenib: implications for clinical management.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In many tumour types serumlactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels proved to represent an indirect marker of tumour hypoxia, neo-angiogenesis and worse prognosis. As we previously reported LDH is an important predictive factor in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Sorafenib represents the therapeutic stronghold in advanced HCC patients. As a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) mainly directed against the angiogenetic pathway, the correlation of sorafenib administration with markers of hypoxia could be an important tool in patients management. Aim of our analysis was to evaluate the role of LDH pre-treatment levels and its variation during treatment in HCC patients receiving sorafenib.
  
  
  METHODS
  78 patients were available for our analysis. For all patients LDH values were collected within one month before the start of treatment and after the end of therapy. For study purposes we divided our patients into two groups, according to LDH pre-treatment levels, cut-off levels was determined with ROC curve analysis. Patients were, also, classified according to the variation in LDH serum levels pre- and post-treatment (increased vs decreased).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients proved homogeneous for all clinical characteristics analyzed. In patients with LDH values under the cut-off median progression free survival (PFS) was 6.7 months, whereas it was 1.9 months in patients above the cut-off (p = 0.0002). Accordingly median overall survival (OS) was 13.2 months and 4.9 months (p = 0.0006). In patients with decreased LDH values after treatment median PFS was 6.8 months, and median OS was 21.0 months, whereas PFS was 2.9 months and OS 8.6 months in patients with increased LDH levels (PFS: p = 0.0087; OS: p = 0.0035).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our experience, LDH seemed able to predict clinical outcome in terms of PFS and OS for HCC patients treated with sorafenib. Given the correlation between LDH levels and tumour angiogenesis we can speculate that patients with high LDH pretreatment levels may be optimal candidates for other emerging therapeutic agents or strategies targeting different molecular pathways.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Faloppi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Translational Oncology Unit, AOU Ospedali Riuniti, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Conca 71, 60126 Ancona, Italy. marioscartozzi@libero.it.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scartozzi
authors.forename: Maristella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bianconi
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Svegliati Baroni
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Toniutto
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giampieri
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Del Prete
authors.forename: Samuele
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Minicis
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bitetto
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Loretelli
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Anzeo
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benedetti
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cascinu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009536:Niacinamide / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010671:Phenylurea Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000077157:Sorafenib; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D010671:Phenylurea Compounds; D009536:Niacinamide; D000077157:Sorafenib; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase