title: Second line systemic therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma: Reasons for the failure.
abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the main cause of death in patients with cirrhosis, with an increasing incidence worldwide. Sorafenib is the choice therapy for advanced HCC. Over time several randomized phase III trials have been performed testing sunitinib, brivanib, linifanib and other molecules in head-to-head comparison with Sorafenib as first-line treatment for advanced-stage HCC, but none of these has so far been registered in this setting. Moreover, another feared vacuum arises from the absence of molecules registered as second-line therapy for patients who have failed Sorafenib, representing an urgent unmet medical need. To date all molecules tested as second-line therapies for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, failed to demonstrate an increased survival compared to placebo. What are the possible reasons for the failure? What we should expect in the near future?
authors: Marcello Maida, Calogero Cammà, Giuseppe Cabibbo, Section of Gastroenterology, DIBIMIS, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy.
authors: Marcello
authors: M
authors: Maida
authors: Marcello Maida, Calogero Cammà, Giuseppe Cabibbo, Section of Gastroenterology, DIBIMIS, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy.
authors: Massimo
authors: M
authors: Iavarone
authors: Marcello Maida, Calogero Cammà, Giuseppe Cabibbo, Section of Gastroenterology, DIBIMIS, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy.
authors: Maurizio
authors: M
authors: Raineri
authors: Marcello Maida, Calogero Cammà, Giuseppe Cabibbo, Section of Gastroenterology, DIBIMIS, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy.
authors: Calogero
authors: C
authors: Cammà
authors: Marcello Maida, Calogero Cammà, Giuseppe Cabibbo, Section of Gastroenterology, DIBIMIS, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy.
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Cabibbo
keywords: Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Sorafenib; Systemic therapies