title: Sorafenib continuation or discontinuation in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma after a complete response.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the efficacy of continued administration of sorafenib for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with local regional therapy (LRT) after a complete response (CR), also, the adverse events of sorafenib after discontinuation of administration were observed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between April 2008 and May 2012, 956 consecutive patients with unresectable HCC treated with LRT (transarterial chemoembolization, radiofrequency ablation) combined with sorafenib were retrospectively investigated. Of these, 157 patients with a CR were enrolled: 102 of them continued to receive sorafenib (test group) and the other 55 stopped receiving sorafenib (control group).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median recurrence-free survival (RFS), post-complete response overall survival (pOS) and overall survival (OS) in the test and control groups were 11 months (95% CI: 6.1, 15.9), 25 months (95% CI: 20.7, 29.3) and 33 months (95% CI: 29.2, 36.8) and 12 months (95% CI: 10.4, 13.6), 28 months (95% CI 24.2, 31.8) and 34 months (95% CI: 30.8, 37.2) respectively. The differences in RFS, pOS and OS between the groups were not significant (P = 0.768, 0.797 and 0.730, respectively). The adverse events related to sorafenib resolved after discontinuation of administration and the quality of life (QoL) scores improved.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with unresectable HCC who achieved a CR did not benefit from continued sorafenib in terms of RFS, pOS or OS. The adverse events of sorafenib were reversible, and discontinuation of sorafenib may improve the QoL of patients who have achieved a CR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yingqiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Wenzhe
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Kangshun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Oncology, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Ligong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Oncology, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Sirui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center & State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jinhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jianyong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yonghui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jiaping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009536:Niacinamide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010671:Phenylurea Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000077157:Sorafenib; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D010671:Phenylurea Compounds; D009536:Niacinamide; D000077157:Sorafenib
keywords: complete response; hepatocellular carcinoma; radiofrequency ablation; sorafenib; transarterial chemoembolization