title: Comparison of treatment safety and patient survival in elderly versus nonelderly patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma receiving sorafenib combined with transarterial chemoembolization: a propensity score matching study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This retrospective study was carried out to compare the outcomes between elderly (≥70 years of age) and nonelderly patients (<70 years of age) with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who received sorafenib combined with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).
  
  
  METHODS
  88 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of advanced HCC were enrolled in this study. Of these, 24 elderly patients were matched with 48 nonelderly patients at a 1:2 ratio using propensity score matching to minimize selection bias. The related adverse events and survival benefits were compared between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sorafenib combined with TACE was equally well tolerated in both age groups, and grade 3 or 4 adverse events were similarly observed in 54.2% of elderly and 50.0% of nonelderly patients (P = 0.739). There were no significant differences in survival time between the elderly and nonelderly patients (P = 0.876). Significant prognostic factors for overall survival as identified by multivariate analysis were the Child-Pugh score and portal vein invasion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sorafenib combined with TACE may be well tolerated and effective in elderly patients with advanced HCC. Age alone is not a parameter for the treatment of advanced HCC patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Chengdu Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Zhenhua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoran
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Yancu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hertzanu
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology and Vascular Surgery, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoqiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoquan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Haibin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Zhengqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001158:Arteries; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009536:Niacinamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010671:Phenylurea Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D057216:Propensity Score; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012449:Safety; D000077157:Sorafenib; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D010671:Phenylurea Compounds; D009536:Niacinamide; D000077157:Sorafenib